SPI,
What you say regarding the SO option is a valid point, particularly as SO's are entitled to Housing Benefits (albeit reduced) and Education Allowance, should that be a player.
However, I cannot agree with what you say regarding the Freighter Option. It is my understanding that anyone employed on the KUL base shall be employed on the same basis as any another Freighter pilot employed post 1st Jan 2000. Namely, they shall be employed by Veta and take a seniority number at the bottom of the CX list. When they have seniority to hold a J/FO position, or 3 years service (whichever happens last) they should move across to the pax fleet as a year 4 F/O. In the event that the company blocks the move to an available pax slot the company's present written position is that they shall pay a type of by-pass pay called "Integration Deferment Pay in the form of the aplicable HK$ salary which the Officer would have received.."
Given that any of the Freighter pilots joining post 1st Jan 2000 were welcomed into the AOA, surely the same will apply to the KUL guys?? You refer to "associated poor rostering and schedules", are you saying that pax rosters are better?
Finally, you appear to hold up the SO on B-scales as an acceptable job within CX. Surely, the SO on B-scale is a denegration of the DE B-scale FO, which in turn was a denegration of DE A-scale FO. It would, therefore, seem accepting any pay scale other than A-scale is unacceptable in your eyes?