The reason the AFAP was obsessed with it is because they were able to see the Forrest through the trees. Unlike Qantas, Virgin Group Pilots now have Integration across the entire group. The Company is unlikely to be able to play the Groups off against each other. VARA’s 320 Pilots are paid a comparable amount to VA 73 PH pilots. This is a good thing - you won’t have the situation like at QF where Network 320 pilots earn significantly less than QF 73 pilots.
How else was VARA Integration supposed to go than without having a cap (Genuine question)? It may be all well and good for the WA pilots who were never likely to transfer en masse to mainline, but for ATR pilots there was the real possibility that they would have lost over 75% of captains in less than an 18 month period. That’s unsustainable and would have shutdown that operation.
Whilst you may be right about the F50 pilots and their relative position on the VARA list (I concede that point as I am not completely familiar with all of the pilot’s positions at that time), I do know a number transferred to the ATR, 777 and possibly VANZ due to Integration that AFAP drove. I’m not trying to be misleading, and I note that you failed to mention what would have had happened to half the ATR pilots when their fleet was reduced by half. Also interesting to point out is that the BNE ATR captains who had their base closed weren’t forced to CBR o SYD but were given firm commuting rights, again thanks to the AFAP.