Not all that unusual to find that the expat guys are notched down a step...if they don't like it they can always....ah, leave.
As in "bye-bye"
Of course this can backfire on the company as well....SV tried this in 1986 and found that they could not crew all of their flights, and had to put the pay back up.
[ 12 December 2001: Message edited by: 411A ]