Very disappointed in the BEC for caving in and allowing non core pay issues to be included in the deal. I guess the track record with the pensions should have been ample warning that they are not a million miles away from NATS Management on most issues, and we, as members, never seem to learn that defeat is usually always grasped from the jaws of victory.
The deal should have been solely about core pay, across the whole of NATS as a single workforce, and the BEC should have been pushing for a deal which at least matches inflation and compensates for the real term pay reduction we have effectively had over the last few years. No strings attached.
As others have said, don't be fooled by the headline 10+% over 2 years. It's only a guaranteed 5.2% for this year. It could be a very small increase next year depending on the financial performance of the country. Alternatively, if the country goes to the dogs and inflation jumps up over 5%, we could be tied to a less than RPI increase, or an effective pay cut. Smoke and mirrors again, and all the hallmarks of the pension briefings and that sellout to NATS Management.
The AAVA agreement should have been kept as a totally separate issue, and one which should only be up for debate when the existing agreement ends at the end of this year (albeit currently suspended - I expect a cave in on this too by the end of the month). Why do the BEC want to renew it anyway ? I would rather have correct numbers of staff in place than have to rely on people giving their time up for the Kings Shilling to bail out the ineptitude of NATS Management. If they do want to renew it, why make it a perpetual agreement at a rate which was set about 5 years ago and has never risen ? Maybe their thinking is to make the agreement unattractive to members so that no one does any ? If that's the case, they have underestimated the attraction of a few quid to a lot of members, some of whom would sell their grandmothers to the devil. NATS Management will of course be rubbing their hands in glee at the bargain basement cover they have negotiated once again with our 'Working Together' BEC. Cheap ATCO labour on tap = a big bonus for the executives.
MET should also play no part in this deal. That should be a sectional pay claim matter for those staff affected, done on an individual unit basis if need be, to keep it fair. It's nothing to do with NERL or the bigger NSL units (for the moment) so why are we getting a vote on it ?
If you can't tell by now ... I'm a NO !!