The article largely reflects the comments on the open BALPA message board. I hate to think what is being said on the BA only one. If the rumours are substantiated there are some awkward questions to be asked. My own long experience of working in a unionised airline was that the senior pilots were reluctant to sacrifice a red cent for the junior ones and a good CC was critical to persuade them to do so. The 24/34 issue was the un-intended by product of the retirement age changing along with the expectation that most pilots would retire close to their original planned ages. Anyone who took the time to speak to older pilots would have soon realised that most would cling on til they had to be carried out, particularly if they had the safety net of Loss of Licence and Loss of Income Insurance. During the past 10 years with a glut of decent jobs and rapid promotion the youngsters have been able to overlook the obvious unfairness of the system by virtue of their own rapid progression. We are all in a very new world now and a workforce split by terms and conditions are going to howl with rage if the perceive that the union is not working equally for all. Own goal for the BACC's and big Balpa.