Oh, for heavens sake! If you're going to whinge about
"...it has been allowed by the unions to have reached this far." then at least do your research properly. BALPA has been lobbying the various ministers since it was first raised. There was even a protest in Brussels and how many members of BALPA do you think turned up? Did you go? No but you are prepared to have a whinge about the union not doing enough.
Have you ever tried lobbying your MP? I doubt it. Have you ever tried to get an agenda on to the news? I doubt it. Just issuing a press release from time to time doesn't do it. Try organising a press conference and see how you fare trying to attract anyone to cover it.
As for wailing about Fathers4Justice or the fox hunting brigade... have we seen you doing anything outrageous, probably illegal and generating publicity for the "cause"? Again... nope!
It's precisely because we are not a bunch of hot-heads that it is so much more difficult to generate enthusiasm to do anything more than the daily grind of multi sector flying. The new rules won't affect our working hours because CAP 371 is more restrictive. What it will affect though is the ability of UK based AOC holders to operate profitably because non-UK based AOC operators will work their crews to the less restrictive EU FTL's with the subsequent better utilisation of their aircraft.
What the unenthusiastic UK pilots can't be arsed to do anything about is the long term problem for us which will be the lobbying power that the operators will put on the government and the Campaign Against Aviation is to relax CAP 371 rules and make them less restrictive to fall into line with Euro practice. It will happen, but until then no one will be arsed to make an effort about it until it's too late.
So RAT 5, are we going to see you lobbing flour bombs from the spectators gallery in the house of commons or dressing up in a batman outfit and scaling Betty's bedroom balcony? Probably not. Are you going to go to the next demonstration by pilots against the new rules?
