UK - NATS Pay negotiations - latest rumours

[5milesbaby]

If he has gone, does that mean we may also get a car scheme finalised too? Or is that still too much to ask for??

[250 kts]

I know of former course mates that still get their union mail delivered to somewhere in Bournemouth, addresses are not up to date etc etc. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the ballot papers never even got to the members in first place.

And just whose responsibility do you think it is to advise Prospect of any address change?

Oh yes those very same people who whinge they didn't get a vote. Those very same people who are supposed to be in the top 10% of intelligent people in the country.

Maybe you should send a list to Prospect so they can pop round and wipe their a**es as well.

Unbelievable

[terrain safe]

Is anyone else worried that the new HR direct is an expert in managing change? His or ours I don't know but I have a really bad feeling about this.

[5milesbaby]

Surely there can't be a replacement worse than the last one can there?

[ZOOKER]

Allegedly the outgoing HR Director "joined NATS in 1990 to set up an HR planning function".
That was 21 of your Earth Years ago.
So where the bloody hell is it?

[Disillusioned]

I wonder how today's concluding pay meeting went?

[King Pokey]

I heard a rumour a couple of hours ago that they are still going! Hopefully some resolution tonight. Either there will be a deal we can vote on, recommended by the BEC or we will be in dispute. As I understand it they are the only two possible outcomes. If the result is dispute then we will see how the grumbling masses really feel. The membership have taken our union to task in recent years for rolling over too easily. If, as it seems they have grown pair then it will be our turn.
It's one thing to whine about all the unions failings but it will be quite another thing if it comes to a fight.
I hope that there will be a suitable offer on the table today but somehow I doubt it.
If there is a dispute or an offer that gets a no vote then it will get nasty very quickly.
It sounds corny but it is true. United we stand, divided we fall. NATS are past masters at divide and conquer so lets buckle up for a bumpy ride.

[Roffa]

This just in...

The ATCOs’ Branch pay team met today in what was accepted as the final meeting with management in a protracted set of pay negotiations.

Having started the day at an impasse, discussions continued due to recognising the severity of the situation.

Management are considering their position overnight as a result of discussions that took place today. They will report to us tomorrow morning. Whatever the result of that conversation, the pay team will report to the BEC at an emergency meeting Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

We also meet as an NTUS tomorrow and there will be further communications following that meeting.

We share our members’ frustrations but request that you bear with us during this delicate stage of the pay negotiations.

[radar707]

Let's hope that management gave spent the night very carefully considering their position

[Mantovani]

NATS management are instructed by the Board. If the Board want a settlement there will be one. If the Board want a dispute there will be one.

What will a dispute do to the short term price of NATS shares?

[Me Me Me Me]

What will a dispute do to the short term price of NATS shares?

Nothing... As the shares are not publicly listed. Even if they were, it's one of the quirks of share trading that sometimes a company taking on its staff over pay can increase the price due to investors seeing a 'strong management' and potentially increased dividends due to minimising increases in staff costs.

As I recall the shares are valued twice a year and the valuation based on a standard set of measures. The next-but-one valuation at the end of the calendar year could potentially see a dip if we'd had industrial action during the summer that affected revenue.

Hopefully they'll pull an acceptable offer out of the bag. I doubt it though and I really, really hope that the membership stand up to be counted. Both management AND the union exec need to be shown we can collectively act and not just whinge.

[Mad As A Mad Thing]

I don't give a **** what it might do to the price of NATS shares. What I do give a **** about is protecting my income & terms and conditions until retirement and also protecting my pension that I have been diligently contributing to EVERY month since I started working for the company.

I don't want this to end up in a dispute, but if that's what it takes to reverse the despicable way we have been manipulated & lied to over the last few years then so be it.

5% unconditional pay rise is the very least we deserve just to try to reverse the effects of inflation. Without this it is clear that management have no real interest in maintaining a co-operative, motivated workforce.

We have delivered massive efficiencies over recent years. So much so that we rarely work anything less than our rostered hours. 2 hours on, half an hour off is the norm. Positions are frequently unmanned regardless of traffic demand as staff numbers have been reduced to the point where there is virtually no spare capacity at all. There are so few ATSAs that it is virtually impossible to cover absences which means that ATCOs can & do get left totally unsupported for a whole shift. Ask yourself, what have we seen in return for these efficiencies? Management scare stories about how the world was about to end if we didn't accept their brilliant plan to change the pension scheme that would cost them less and reduce our potential benefits. A 2 year pay deal where they did us such a huge favour based again on doom & gloom fairy stories about how we were facing a significant period of negative inflation. Well that didn't happen either did it?

And now they want me to do the met as well as AIR/GMC combined in LVP's?

Bugger off!

5% unconditional, then and only then we can start talking sensibly about anything else you want us to do.

[anotherthing]

Looks like we are not going to get an amicable agreement



Important update on ATCO pay negotiations

Posted on April 15, 2011 in BEC, Featured, Salary & Structure | 0 Comment
The ATCOs’ Branch pay team and NATS’ Management remain unable to reach agreement on the proposal as laid out by NATS’ this morning. NATS’ requests for changes to ATCOs’ Terms and Conditions are simply not adequately compensated by the financial package on offer.

Throughout this process we have tried time and time again to achieve the pay increase that our members’ aspire to and deserve while also meeting the requirements of the business. We have made numerous counter proposals, suggested a multitude of ways ahead and have been willing to compromise. We have maintained a position which is right for you, our members, and which reflects your professionalism, your contribution to the company and your expectations on a reasonable pay offer.

We are holding an Emergency BEC meeting next week at which the way ahead for the Branch will be discussed. Further communications will follow at that stage.

[radar707]

Time for us all to stand united behind the BEC.

[hold at SATAN]

Prospect members, please ensure that your contact details are correct. All changes can easily be made online at Prospect

If you haven't registered already, you need your membership number, surname and the postcode for your last registered address. Really quick and simple to make changes

Or speak to your local rep.

We can't afford to mess this one up. Time to stand up and be counted

[250 kts]

So I guess the time has now arrived for all of us who come on here and whinge about the union growing some balls have to grow some too.

I suspect it will be an interesting few weeks as people make their excuses about having to do overtime because they can't afford to shop at Waitrose any more or that they have a 4th holiday of the year to pay for.

This is a real opportunity for the workforce to let management know just how much they rely on individuals doing stuff over and above that which is necessary as well as showing some real solidarity towards the guys and girls who have been negotiating for the last 9 months.

No doubt plenty will have been doing the maths about what a Sunday or bank holiday overtime duty is worth-well remember it only feels good for about 10 seconds after you open the pay check. Just give it some thought beyond that moment of glee to where the workforce will be if they don't keep a strong support.


Think hard about it when the ORO call or you are approached by the Watch Sup to do those extra duties. Think hard about doing those extra sectors to help them out so much. Think hard about the amount of flexibility you are prepared to give when it comes to introducing major technological changes.

This could be the defining few weeks of the future of terms and conditions of the operational staff in NATS and it is up to us to collectively to ensure we get the reward we deserve for providing a massively safe, historically expeditious and unfortunately under the present management, hugely profitable ATC service.

Is a pay rise that keeps up with inflation really too much to ask?

[Flybywyre]

We are holding an Emergency BEC meeting next week at which the way ahead for the Branch will be discussed. Further communications will follow at that stage.

WHY ??
Can't be much of an emergency meeting if it can wait until next week.
The ballot process should have been put in progress as soon as this "concluding" pay meeting was finished FFS!!

NO MORE TALKS
NO MORE MEETINGS
BALLOT NOW

[250 kts]

WHY ??
Can't be much of an emergency meeting if it can wait until next week.

Maybe it's because the BEC is made up of reps from all over the country and that is the earliest they can all be brought together.

Maybe some need to be released to attend?

And do you actully know the offer on the table or are you willing to ballot blind?

Let the BEC take the time required to come to a considered and fully debated decision.

[Flybywyre]

"Maybe"

What do you not understand about the term "concluding pay meeting" ?

Let the BEC take the time required to come to a considered and fully debated decision.

You mean like what they have been doing for the last three months ?

Could you imagine someone like Bob Crow being led down so many garden paths?

I am not a great fan of BC but he does achieve results.
London Underground have already offered a 4% unconditional pay rise for all and inflation plus 0.25% for the next four years.

Presumably the NTUS has already rejected such a derisory offer

[250 kts]

concluding pay meeting

Which according to the notices put out happened today. And I suspect nobody knew what the outcome of that meeting was until it ended??

Therefore it would appear that an emergency BEC has now been called next week. Maybe you think it should have been happening tonight??

There has to be a conclusion to negotiations and that is where we appear to be right now-or earlier today.

Maybe you should become a rep to help speed things along somewhat. I for one am content with the pace, consideration and sensible debate that appears to be occurring amongst the union heirarchy.