My real contention is that I have lost a bucket load of leave in this farce.
orangetree,
No, you haven't. The number of days free of duty under this arrangement is unchanged in theory, and almost certainly increased in practice. The five blocks of leave have been retained (OK, one is five GDOs, but so what? You still don't go to work!) as well as no more flexi-days, a reduction in allowable duty hours, a four day break regularly and no more than 5 duties in a row ever.
You have obviously spent more time here on PPRUNE slagging the proposal than you have actually reading what it entails.