How the hell can we even contemplate a pay rise based on forcasted RPI figures? They are mostly (educated?) guesses at best and may bear no resemblence to future RPI - indeed, fuel prices are currently shooting up faster than the rate at this time last year - so there is no guarantee that RPi will be negative, come Aug 2009.
Prices have already gone up by AUG 08 RPI - we have already fallen behind the curve. An AUG08 RPI payrise will simply bring our salaries up to the equivalent pre-Aug08 prices. Anything less is a pay cut FFS!
If it is their best and final offer, I suggest we stick two fingers up at NATS management, pull the AAVA agreement and other extraneous tasks, and see what happens when NATS attribitutable delays shoot up - yep, those fines are gonna be hefty!