Sorry, my post has clearly come across incorrectly. I am not knocking anyone for the decisions they make. It is acceptable for anyone to take a command whenever they deem it appropriate. It is not my decision to make, and I am not knocking anyone for it, just as I would not tell someone who picks up overtime not to do it. I am simply pointing out that it is good for BA when people choose to do so, and terms and conditions will not improve while it is happening. Just as BA will not hang up on the cost cutting and efficiencies until people are leaving for better pastures. It is all about market forces, and if there are people who will do it, the reward is not going to improve, even if that reward is not as good as at other companies. BALPA cannot pluck improved terms and conditions out of thin air.
Just for a little more education on why senior long haulers do not tend to take short haul commands; it is not quite correct to say things for them on long haul are too good. The biggest thing is the overall reward consideration. A NAPS long hauler has a collosal tax bill upon obtaining their command. It is so large that they are working entirely for free for the first couple of years, and instead handing their wages to the government. The junior guys do not have that bill and so do not work for free for a few years. So the senior long haulers have generally decided the short haul command reward is not appropriate, even though the money BA are handing over is more than for their junior colleagues. ie the market forces are different depending on whether you are NAPS or not. I am in the fortunate position to be senior enough for long haul command within the next couple of years, but I am very much in two minds whether I should even take that when the time comes. I probably will do it, but it certainly will not be for the financial reward because it will benefit the government far more than it will benefit me. I know plenty of people who will not take a BA command, long haul or short haul, because the reward for them is not enough. A far greater number will never take a short haul command because the reward is not great enough. However, BA do not currently need to improve the reward because more junior colleagues who do not have the crazy taxation, consider the reward acceptable.