Fair point.
At risk of straying off-thread I think it was a foregone conclusion that some experienced MTO3 technicians, in particular, would be left in this situation - it isn't good for morale, for R&R and isn't necessarily fair in my view - I wonder whether the AfC process was applied consistently.
However, just loking at the situations vacant on this site alone, it seems that the salary for skilled, qualified and experienced technicians is actually tending to be pitched between Band 5 and 6 and there's an increase in demand (or could this be that situations are becoming vacant because those that are unhappy are creating them?).
Nurses have a similar issue concerning AfC grading for "E" grade Nurses being graded lower than their expectations and then being "lumped" together with "D" grades; thus in many areas fully qualified and experienced individuals have been graded the same as many fully-qualified new entrants and will still be supporting them.
I'm certain there'll be other occupations with similar experiences - despite all the "penny-pinching" that may have gone on at some trusts it seems that AfC wasn't adequately financed (according to various things I've read and heard). I believe the nurses representatives are pushing for 3.5% (so I've read in a few papers and elsewhere). I think, given the current low-inflation economic climate, that they're being optimistic irrespective of whether I think they deserve it, financially speaking.