I have no doubt that you would include "a good pension" in all this stuff that we should not expect to receive when we retire.
Not at all and I'm not quite sure how one implies the other. I still expect a good pension by any measure of what a good pension is. I also expect that inevitably there will be further attempts to reduce pension benefits because UK PLC which includes NATS can no longer afford the pensions it used to provide. I am very grateful to the union for ensuring we enjoy some legal protection which many company pension scheme members do not which may ultimately mean we keep our good pension far longer than most people.
But pay rises can be capped "just in case"?
Like it or not NATS has to live within its means and I happen to believe that there is little victory in a larger pay rise which ultimately has to be paid for by people losing their jobs. The board may not have been as prudent as I would like but I don't think that means we shouldn't be.