I don't think Fodder's theory stands up. The company has an interest in maximising profit. However, the idea that the company would like to provoke a major once-and-for-all industrial action is not so far-fetched. There was certainly a "sack the lot" plan drawn up in 1994. It woulf take govt approval, which is why public perception is so important.
The public see flight crew as "greedy" etc. What they don't understand is CX senior management are all hand-picked by old school tie types in London and have (with a few exceptions) very similar personalities. They nearly all have an inability to empathise. We can all see the result.
True story... The scene: a school sports day on HK island. Two 7 yr olds pull ahead of the rest of the field in the 100m sprint. The one who comes narrowly second bursts into tears and runs up to *a certain member of management* (re-edited *this* bit) - "I'm sorry daddy, I'm sorry. I'll try harder next time".
[This message has been edited by Hemlock (edited 17 December 2000).]