According to our union reps the give and take part has been done. From the starting point things have moved a long way in our favour apparently.
It concerns me that some people do not trust the union reps at all and think that us voting no IS our negotiation. ie. we vote no to successive offers until we are happy. The negotiation is done and as far as our reps are concerned this is the best we can get.
It also worries me that people only seem to be thinking about how strong our position is. We may have a strong position but the figures presented to us in the briefings speak for themselves. There is no point digging our heels in to "beat the enemy" when there is nothing left for them to yield. The kind of cuts some people are talking about are negligible when compared to the billions of pounds involved in covering the pension liability.
For me it comes down to whether you trust the people representing us. If you do then deciding how to vote becomes quite straightforward.
If not then it becomes very difficult, almost as difficult as becoming a financial expert in time for the ballot.
It's also clear from coffee lounge conversation that some ATCOs have completely lost touch with what it's like in the rest of the working world.