To in USA and observing, Good comments, and very valid points, however over here we have a problem. A lot of us are employed with a provident fund, which is all we have to live on when we leave. To have done 14-16 years in the provident fund, which is when it is growing at it's maximum rate, and then throw it away is folly in the supreme. The company would like nothing better than to have us resign. Because then the provident fund has to be paid out by law. You cannot then return to the scheme once you are re-employed.
The other problem we have here is that there is a big enough minority that are not interested in striking or resigning which would keep the core of the company going whilst they recruited new pilots. I fully agree with you, that if it weren't for those self serving individuals, any industrial action would very quickly be addressed. That same group would rather bitch and moan about how unfair life is, than do something to make the company sit up and take notice.
As someone else wrote in this forum, A series of rolling sickouts is the way to go. Max disruption and there is no way the company can plan or make alternative arrangements for such an event. If they fire anyone to make an example, then we should all go out. But again all our efforts will be diluted by the same group. It's sad isn't it?