Basic is irrelevant. Its the productivity related payments that are more important.
Unfortunately for a 350 driver, this means cargo flights and quarantine. If you refuse, you get a bit of domestic, low pay, and sit by the pool all day.
The new salary package is a considerable improvement over the old one, and another review in December. Low basic and good productivity pay is the best course of action for VNA. Plenty of wide body guys have refused cargo so why pay a high basic?
For the guys who volunteered to work for free, the current package must seem like a fortune.
As with all these things, you do have choices. Noone is twisting your arms here.