The company isn't terrified of recognition.
The company simply will not deal with BALPA: BALPA has no part to play in the commercial decisions made by the company management.
That said, initial explorations indicate that the company may be prepared to recognise and negotiate with a different association which is more benign and adopts a less militant stance, working in partnership, rather than against the company.
The company has not put a cost on treating it's employee's better: the majority of the people I speak with are very content with the fundamentals of the current term's and conditions.
Improvements such as a simplified base transfer bidding system, a web based leave bid system with graphical display of available leave at each base and a web based roster swap system for each base have been the main "improvements" people have suggested.
We don't want crew meals; we don't want artificial limits placed on our EU Ops flying hours; we don't want our 5 / 4 roster changed; we don't want some outside agency negotiating pay and conditions on our behalf.
We don't want through the night flying or night stops: we are paid better than the vast majority of airlines and our jobs are secure.
Simples!
WE are having a vote, and the pilots are overwhelmingly rejecting the application for recognition. That's the pilots, not union members, not the BALPA pilot community, but the pilots, be they, or be they not, members of BALPA, IALPA or the IPA.
BALPA, however, don't accept that: they want to engage with the BALPA pilot community exclusively.
On the other hand, we take a more inclusive stance: everyone can be "engaged", everyone can vote and they can vote according to their opinions and conscience.
BALPA will not get recognition: not at EMA, not at PIK, not at LTN or anywhere else. They see the FR pilots as an income stream to fund their dining and C class travel to international bunfights masquerading as conferences. Fortunately, the FR pilot is a canny character who can see through this and doesn't buy the BALPA tub thumpers nebulous claims.
The FR pilot can read the small print and knows that BALPA "legal protection" is discretionary and that commercial products that guarantee support are available.
BALPA has nothing to offer, and indeed, if they persist with this manifestly irresponsible campaign could find that the company throws it's resources behind the pilots, and BALPA, with its puny cash reserves, ceases to exist in its present form and its members have to dig deep into their pockets to pay the legal bills.
Punishing or penalising the pilots? No, backing them with 2 billion + Euro of resources.