NATS Pay Rise for 2009
Join Date: Sep 2002
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Guys at lower band units....I say this not to provoke, but rather to get your views...shouldn't you be more worried about this pension cr*p going through? If it does, theres a good chance NSL will get sold and banding issues will become an irrelevance. Like I said, not intended to provoke, just interested in your views
Join Date: Nov 2002
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mr.777
I'm a no vote for that very reason.
To be honest i'm so fed up at being screwed in NATS that nothing the useless union tell me will make me a yes vote. In my briefing they admitted that Banding was a mistake and was a factor in creating this pension problem. Makes you feel good when you did not get a good deal out of Banding, stuck near the bottom of the pile, but now need to help bail the fat cats out and stick together. Thanks for that. Also NATS has too many 'support' staff and middle management creating work for themselves on higher wages no doubt than the guys risking their licences and keeping the public safe. From a pure salary point of view if my airport was no longer in NATS I would still get the same pay anyway as a lot of non-NATS airports pay simillar to Band 1/2 units anyway with far less traffic, and maybe I could live closer to home.
Airports need to fight now for the pension or it will go anyway when we are sold in a few years.
I'm a no vote for that very reason.
To be honest i'm so fed up at being screwed in NATS that nothing the useless union tell me will make me a yes vote. In my briefing they admitted that Banding was a mistake and was a factor in creating this pension problem. Makes you feel good when you did not get a good deal out of Banding, stuck near the bottom of the pile, but now need to help bail the fat cats out and stick together. Thanks for that. Also NATS has too many 'support' staff and middle management creating work for themselves on higher wages no doubt than the guys risking their licences and keeping the public safe. From a pure salary point of view if my airport was no longer in NATS I would still get the same pay anyway as a lot of non-NATS airports pay simillar to Band 1/2 units anyway with far less traffic, and maybe I could live closer to home.
Airports need to fight now for the pension or it will go anyway when we are sold in a few years.
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: uk
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Mr777,
At our Band 2 unit there seems to be a tiredness of this pension issue.Don't forget that we have had these issues for over 15 years,so anything that comes from Prospect/Nats means that we are getting scre
ed.
People has left the union in disgust.The difference with the pension issue is that this is the first time management are taking on the Band4/5 units.Before the lower band units got it,to keep the bigger units happy.The workforce was divided years ago.
Since the Banding process our traffic has exploded.Yet we have got nothing.
I have had quite a few people talk about working elsewhere,but they always said that the pension was the deciding factor.Well that looks a gonner now,even if we vote no.Also our pensions are already lower because of the huge pay gulf.
I have worked outside Nats and I found other employers fine.They paid you at the end of the month,or contract.In the second case,about 3 times what Nats were paying at the time.However they certainly didn't keep moving the goalposts every 5 mins like Nats.If NSL was sold maybe things might improve.There is a huge shortage of experienced Tower/Approach controllers,and the new NSL will have to staff these units.They will have to train there own (no college anymore ?),or do a Serco;poach.Just look at the ads in Flight.There are vacancies everywhere,and one even has a final salary pension scheme.
In the meantime people are past the fighting stage here,and are looking at what suits themselves.The union certainly isn't of any use.
At our Band 2 unit there seems to be a tiredness of this pension issue.Don't forget that we have had these issues for over 15 years,so anything that comes from Prospect/Nats means that we are getting scre
ed.People has left the union in disgust.The difference with the pension issue is that this is the first time management are taking on the Band4/5 units.Before the lower band units got it,to keep the bigger units happy.The workforce was divided years ago.
Since the Banding process our traffic has exploded.Yet we have got nothing.
I have had quite a few people talk about working elsewhere,but they always said that the pension was the deciding factor.Well that looks a gonner now,even if we vote no.Also our pensions are already lower because of the huge pay gulf.
I have worked outside Nats and I found other employers fine.They paid you at the end of the month,or contract.In the second case,about 3 times what Nats were paying at the time.However they certainly didn't keep moving the goalposts every 5 mins like Nats.If NSL was sold maybe things might improve.There is a huge shortage of experienced Tower/Approach controllers,and the new NSL will have to staff these units.They will have to train there own (no college anymore ?),or do a Serco;poach.Just look at the ads in Flight.There are vacancies everywhere,and one even has a final salary pension scheme.
In the meantime people are past the fighting stage here,and are looking at what suits themselves.The union certainly isn't of any use.
