Having chatted to a senior manager about Manc they stated that they would be highly surprised if the airport could run on the new contract with the current set up. The Tower may not be able to hang on to the area boys coat tails anymore when they leave, which could well spell a scaling down of staff, maybe a loss of a few ATCO1+ 's, which went towards helping the old contract run at a loss anyway.
You never know a drop in Banding could be on the cards but I doubt it.
Would it have been such a bad thing if we had lost the contract? Most of us stay within Nats for the pension as at lower band airports we can gain similar pay from outside. Seeing as alledgedly management are going to come back to us for further cuts I would have expected most Manc staff to stay put and work direct for MAPLC anyway. You certainly would not be without a job.