Unacceptable reduction in safety margin
There has been plenty said on this subject already, including some ill informed statements/opinions by some inexperienced, (or non-) aviators who have difficulty spelling.
The fact of the matter is that it is quite simply an unsafe practice to make a policy change such as this. It has got nothing to do with Ego, but the real danger comes from two areas. Firstly, unfamiliarity with the RHS job, this covers ergonomics, visual perspective, physical distraction of switch/control operation et al.
If that was not bad enough however there is the CRM aspect. Many ppruners will recall the landing incident at LGW many years ago when an airliner landed on the taxiway by mistake. Only the quick thinking ATCer saved the day by instructing another a/c to taxy onto the grass to avoid an accident. On the flightdeck of the error jet? Not one, not two, but three Captains! Yes it was a check flight for a new Training Captain in the RHS.
This incident typifies the potential problem of more than Captain on the flightdeck. There are strange communication dynamics which can occur and have an adverse effect on good CRM. Those of us with some experience of this in the past can testify to the detrimental effect this can have on the safety of the flight. We do not imagine it, believe me it is real and for an airline management to make this decision as a sticking plaster measure to mask their own failings in under-recruiting sufficient pilots is reprehensible.
Gotta say though, they do appear to have a long track record of cocking it up in the allocation of pilot resources department, after all, did they not base 50 F/Os in Berlin when the base opened a couple of years ago when they only had two a/c there? Such gross incompetence is breathtaking and if it continued long enough then eventually one could foresee desperate measures being taken which impinge on Flight Safety, erm like..... "Why don't we get the skippers to fly in the righthand seat until we get enough F/Os online?"
One of the reasons that there are not enough Co-Pilots is the fact that the TRSS scheme produces no company loyalty, nor any financial restraint in the form of a training bond. The TRSS guys can walk at any time and guess what? They are doing. Perhaps some of the TRSS F/Os could comment here?