I'm sure that all postees originally applied to NATS for a job, and not NERL/NSL.
Nope, some of us applied and joined the CAA. Some probably did so with some government department which managed ATC even before that.
Sorry to add to this, but I feel that if the vote is no, the ultimate result will be that NSL employees lose their jobs. How will you all feel about that?
Nice emotional blackmail attempt .. vote yes or everyone in NSL loses their job !!
The fact is, that regardless of the vote result, then most of us would expect to join our comrades in the union in whatever balloted action is required to save jobs throughout the company should NATS use the result as an excuse to sack people. So, I would hope most of us would stand by our colleagues in NSL, even taking appropriate industrial action in NERL if that is what is needed. Who knows, maybe our national Prospect officer would even feel able to support us in taking industrial action ... as long as we weren't fighting for something which gets us something better than Prospect have got for anyone else, in which case there's no way he could stand up and defend us ... if you believe what he said at the Pensions briefings.
NSL are also in some way falling victim to a corporate management who seem to always want to negotiate an airport contract at a going rate which is less than it actually costs the company (allegedely). How can anyone survive in business if everything you sell is a loss leader ??
There are still staff shortages in NERL at all the ACC units, which cannot operate efficiently without AAVAs and staff goodwill. I'm sure that any NSL staff would be assured a warm welcome to NERL to help us attain our agreed operational strength if their posts disappeared at any particular airport.