This doesn't look at all like a communication from a union that is confident of a 'Yes' vote in the ballot. The highlighting is mine.
A UniteBA newsletter:
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Will we achieve it?
This week you will have the opportunity to vote in an industrial action ballot, this is a precious and yet fragile right for every single one of us.
In the not too distant past, and still in many countries around the world today, people have made huge sacrifices, risked imprisonment, torture and even death to obtain this most basic human right.
Your ballot will be legal and our dispute lawful
When it comes down to it, and a company is hell bent on imposing change against the wishes and well being of its employees, when argument, reason and even concession has failed, there is no other way to influence a company than to withdraw one’s labour for a period of time.
That is what we are asking you to do, no more and no less.
The last time we had a ballot for industrial action we received a staggering 96.1% support and the issues this time are, in many ways, far more serious but we know this will be difficult to repeat; that was a unique outpouring against the way this company was being run. Sadly it’s still being run in the same way but we are realistic enough to know such a monumental result will be difficult to achieve twice.
Every single YES vote will send a clear message that change must be negotiated and agreed. Every NO vote will say exactly the opposite.
It is as simple as that.
This is a joint ballot of all UNITE members belonging to both BASSA and Amicus sections; that is over 12,500 people at two separate bases on a whole variety of contracts, that is a lot of people to get support from on very limited resources.
More than likely most of you will be dragged in on an in-touch day and told exactly how and which way you should vote.
We can only do our best and we believe we have, to the best of our ability, spelled out the dangers and consequences of these impositions.
When you receive your ballot and you sit in the privacy of your own home to make your choice and vote, vote for your own future and what it means to you and what you want it to be
There will not be a second chance!
Torture? Death? Most basic human right? Oh dear, priorities are amiss here. In any event, it certainly isn't indicative of the overwhelming 'Yes' result that some feel it will be. Maybe the union are preparing to 'soften up' the voters for a possible 'No' result?