BAND4ALL - Thank you
Bobblehat - I appreciate what you are saying, so my question to you now is this...... Why on earth are we negotiating on AAVA's anyway? Particurlarly for a measly 0.5% this year, and nothing next year. The pay deal should be just that.... a core pay deal. The AAVA agreement should be a separate entity. By voting this through we are giving up one of our main bargaining tools for such a small amount. Granted most of us enjoy the fact that we can bump up our salary for the year by doing AAVA's, and so therefore would like where we can to keep them in, but do we not have more pride and more fight in us than this? Management are exploiting the fact that we all do like to do the occasional AAVA, well lets get a pay deal - one that is the same for ATCO's, ATSA's and engineers through, and then negotiate on AAVA's. At the end of the day, although nice to have for us, management like this agreement as it means they dont have to pay an extra unspecified amount of ATCO salaries for the year, the AAVA agreement is a saving to them, and a good grace on our part that we work extra shifts to cover their lack of employees. Surely this is worth more than 0.5% for one year? I certainly think so.
IMHO, a no vote is the only way to stand up to management and show them we have bloody balls! At the end of the day, NATS is making profits based on the work ATCO's, engineers and assistants do, we should be rewarded as a whole for this! Lets stand united and be counted, this is the only way we are going to get the recompense we all deserve!