I suppose in this highly stressful year it is inevitable that fear will drive people to think bad things. But it is worth remembering that when TCX went under, TUI were embarking upon expansion which they were going to struggle to fulfil if they had only promoted from within and recruited from low hours availability on the open market. Also worth a thought that at time, a mere 18m ago, there was a shortage of suitable candidates on that market. As you mention, if a well thought of, well trained, bunch of pilots were available, well, why not take them? At the time, it also was seen as hugely uplifting to see the union and a big employer working hard to tidy up the mess left by TCX. I have no doubt that the ramifications of that decision combined with Covid19 will be a drag on many pilots careers, especially those close to command and this will lead to dark muttering about collusion and favoritism. Its not going to help anyone, because the cause of the problem is outside the scope of any management.