I think, with AAVA's you have to think medium/long term, otherwise you simply end up worse off after a very short space of time.
It's safe to say that there is a finite amount of cash available for any monetary increases, be it core pay, AAVA's, sectional claims, whatever. There is a finite amount available.
Increase the AAVA rate, and the core pay won't rise as much.
I think it is infinitely preferable to put ALL the available cash into the core pay, that way, it is pensionable, everyone gets it, and it stays with you forever.
Then, if people could sit and think a few months down the line rather than this month's pay packet, the obvious thing to do would be take a few months of a hit and simply don't do ANY AAVA's.
OK, you might miss out on a couple of £1,000 over say 3 months, but when management come to the union asking why they cannot man their sectors, have horrendous delays and no one is doing any AAVA's, the simple answer is, they are not paying enough for them, and consequently management will have no choice but to up the rate to entice people into doing them again, but you will already have had your maximum core pay rise, so you win on both scores.
But, it does need members to see the slightly longer plan, and be prepared to hold off on those short term AAVA gains for a few months.
That's what I believe the union are saying, and I fully understand it, and agree with it.
Obviously, some people won't, and if enough people are happy enough to go ahead and do AAVA's at the current rate if they are re-instated at that, then that will simply just play into managements hands, and they won't have any need to increase the rate.
If this scenario comes into play, it is up to the members (who in effect ARE the union) to realise this, and do their part by not giving in to short term gain, that in the end will help no-one, including themselves.