re. BA layoffs - BA has disguised the layoffs as 'voluntary severance' im many cases - take Belfast for example where staff on all levels of salary from new-in, crap-contract to old-rate, fat cat were forced to take voluntary severance in October, following the closure of the base at Belfast International. Although they had no choice in the matter, other than a handful of jobs at GLA/EDI/ABZ. One example was a payoff of £6000 and a pension of £8000 pa, after 32 years. It might appear BA has not laid anyone off - this is true if you count compulsory redundancies - but the toll of vols is pretty well on target for the 7000 they wanted back in October. Pity about BFS - they were a great crowd.