Fact is the pre covid pay check does not matter, as all pilots who get to rejoin are on pay step zero, no matter where they had been before. In Europe you would call it fire for contract change, which in the same region is forbidden by locals laws. But that’s not the point as all are coming back on basic salary step 0.
not respecting the position in your career path, for e.g. not respecting a passed command upgrade or not respecting top seniority listed FO with a passed interview and a ready to letter in hands for near future upgrades is simple disrespectful and disgusting and shows simply the value.
Also in the rehire process comparing a former 2 year employee with a 20 year long over his medical expenses is just ridiculous, as live has surprises available and unfortunately for the 20 year long they were happening in DXB on the cost of EK. All that can not be reasonably be valid point to rehire the 2 year long pilot.
A lot of airlines did furlough pilots, but and that’s the large difference, they let rejoin everybody interested in the old position seniority and career schedule. And this is the big big big difference. There is at least somehow respect demonstrated between the hard business needs.