Midman,
Good analysis of the pros and cons of the hourly rate.
Perhaps my comments were a little harsh, but peoples ignorance and unwillingness to even think about the issue is so frustrating. (And it's going to cost them dearly in income tax very soon ... )
If you ask an average crew member if they would ever consider an hourly rate, you will get something along the lines of;
"No, never, absolutley not, it would be £2/hr and we'd lose 1000's of pounds.
"So, would you take an hourly rate if it was £50/hr?"
"Yes. Errm. No. Because it wouldn't be £50, it would be £2, I don't trust them"
The real nub of matter. Crew don't trust BA to stick to an hourly rate because they don't trust Bassa to be able to negotiate it properly and nail down the small print (adjusted for volume, inflation, etc) If Bassa could negotiate this now, crew could capture allowances at a record high, and increase their pensionable pay. If you're going to be taxed on your allowances, you may as well get a boost to your pension, especially in BARP.
However, this won't happen, and crew will be let down again. Not by BA this time. They won't care. Less basic pay is less NI payments for them to make, and they won't care when the taxman comes after you.