We were definitely informed that negotiation was happening. There's been a whole stream of letters and e-mails from both NATS and NTUS over the last year which made it quite clear that negotiation was ongoing. And we are being consulted now that the negotiation has concluded which surely is the only realistic time to consult the membership.
As I said before I see no reason why both sides shouldn't sell the idea if they are convinced that it is the best possible solution. Sometimes your union reps will have to make the best from a bad situation and they won't always be able to bring you only good news. It is to their credit that they are prepared to stand behind what they have negotiated. The reaction from you and the almost libelous reaction from others elsewhere on this board was probably predictable and it would have been far easier to walk away and let the company get on with it. Personally I'm glad they didn't because, as I've said elsewhere, some of us have bigger concerns than just our pensions and this may actually be the best solution.
It's not up to me to defend NATS management but I wouldn't expect an HR person to be able to answer finance questions.