Thanks flygunz that's a beer I owe you.
Sasless - if you haven't got the radio facility and can't talk to anyone then so be it, that as you say is the reason you get paid lots. But if the facility is there and you choose not to use it then that, in my book, is foolish.
I accept the economic realities of life in the cruel, harsh world of civil aviation but it don't make it right and, as flygunz said, I am only coming at this from a flight safety perspective.
SS - get with the programme - weekend, Valley shut etc - do I have to keep spelling it out?
Thud and Blunder - I think your example is more about customer feedback and satisfaction than CRM or flight safety - the answer is to only employ the non-numpty ex-mil guys! Being safe to the tolerances of the monitoring organisations means doing the absolute bare minimum to avoid being dangerous which is not the same as promoting fight safety.