It's bad enough a company using S/O's at all. They are simply cheap labour. Yes, the position itself has a small amount of merit (time to get used to it all blah blah)but the fact reamins - it's cheap for the company. Ans now they try to get 2 to fly on a crew - rediculous and unsafe (in my view).
I agree that the Captains have not been pulling their weight in this regard. Indeed many of the Captains and A scale F/O's have been tardy in their support of the rest of us in recent times. Trust me gents - it has been noted and I trust the AOA will encourage these chaps to set the example in the near future. If not, then thanks for nothing those who are happily sitting on A scales!
S/O's don't have the practical ability to refuse to fly with another S/O - that's the skipper's call. Just wait - the company will slip this situation into the 'normal operations' slot whenever they can. We are soiling our own nest by not putting a stop to it here and now. I, for one, would not like the thought of a 4 year slot as an S/O.
As I said before - S/O's are vulnerable. We will support as far as we can without risking the company looking for an excuse to make an example of one or more of us.