Not sure I would regard that move as an “olive branch”.
More likely to be a “tactic”. Bain will be wanting unions to support EBA amendments which involve reductions in terms and conditions.
The first meeting would probably go something like this:
BAIN: “So, do we all agree that we need to do everything possible to secure as many jobs as we can?”
UNIONS: “Yes.”
BAIN: “Okay, so the only way we can do that is reduce xxx by yyy...”
UNIONS: “Oh, OK”; or
UNIONS: “Piss off.”
Then, regardless of which response the unions choose, either job losses or reductions in pay will become the unions’ fault, not Bain’s.
A reduction in pay will be played off against further job losses in order to achieve Bain’s financial goals. Of course, they won’t refer to it as their financial goals, they will refer to it as “survival of the airline”. This is where the unions will need to play smart, because they can lose either way. The “olive branch” will be a tactic to soften up unions for “the inevitable”. It will only become inevitable if they let it happen.
Saying “yes” to everything would be a poor idea, but saying “no” to everything may not be the best strategy either. They will need to be very smart, because they will have a formidable opponent in an awkward and unpredictable situation. The unpredictable nature of the industry at present will play to Bain’s advantage. They will also need to keep their members onside, which may be difficult.
But at the end of the day, it will be important for everyone to remember that Bain’s purchase of the airline is not conditional on EBA sacrifices.