Empty - hmmmm.
Have you ever been on strike? I have - twice and only once for dosh. I do not give in and I am NOT defeatist. I am realistic though. It does not matter if the money is available or not - we will not get anymore this year. We could go for 2.2% now and renegotiate in January?
The excuses are all in place for TAG. September 11th, NAS and LACC system failures, a pi$$ed off public sick of being delayed, constant negative media attention. How would they react to an ATC strike? When we fought off Serco, and believe me Prescott wanted them in afterall, he needs a non-executive directorship too, it was because of safety fears and the public backed us. On your proposed agenda they would definately not.
This would prove 'crap management' to the government and financial institutions and we would be in Sercoville before you knew it. The first you would know of it would be a load of redundancy notices for strikers no pension, LESS money, longer hours, less leave. You may call TAG 'crap' and in some ways, especially concerning the replacement of dinasaur NATS old-time management, I agree, but compared to the alternatives they are saints. No changes to pensions, no salary reduction - a rise even! No major changes to working practices and no changes to generous redundancy payments.
If the ATCO's go one strike (let me see now, when was the last time THAT happened) I will join you. I just think it ill advised.