Stop Start, in the last 4 years 200+ from CX, don't know about HAECO (which is where I suspect Wanchai Butterfly is) but I do recall they (HAECO) also laid off many GE's as you put it around the same time and/or reduced the benefits/housing allowance etc, hope that answers your first question, you probably didn't remember but also hundreds of other insignificant (as you would view us I guess) ground staff were laid off too. Which is probably one of the reasons (not mine) that the Flt Deck are not viewed in the best light at present.
I can say to you no matter how many aircraft I had to work in a day I would not release any that I did not consider to be airworthy. If you don't believe me just ask the 430 pax that were staring out of the terminal window at me the other day when I wouldn't (or couldn't) release the a/c even though the '
professional' crew were insisting on it.
As for unions, as the pilots are a single! body of x000's it is far easier to get a union recognised than it is for the understaffed overworked Ground Staff as there are not many (if any) that have any idea what aviation is about let alone how to represent the Ground Engineers.
