I'm not disillusioned I just won't roll over. Anyone looking at NAPs has got to see that there is an enormous freight train rushing towards it. On this occassion I could sit back and say "I'm all right Jack. BA can't make my pension much worse they've already slashed it." But looking beyond I can see the consequences of not standing up to this attack on NAPs terms and conditions. If BA pilots don't stand united we will be picked off individually group by group.
The NAPs pilots joined BA because of the package at the time and it is totally wrong for BA to take it away. There is no pension shortfall long term, and pensions are long term investments. There is a shortfall in the value of my flat this year because it was going up at 10%, it doesn't mean I have to double my payements, long term it will regain track. Of course if the bank decided to move out of mortgages to make more profit elsewhere they could bombard me with negative advertising to make me think I needed to pay a higher interest rate!
The thing that gets me about all the threads recently is that pilots seem to be embarassed about the salarys they earn. I'm not, I'm a highly trained professional, I've invested tens of thousands in my career and I belong to a finite employable pool. I work long unsociable hours and (with the help of my Captain!) I am responsible for the safety and profitability of a multi billion pound corporaration. I also love my job.
Stop the downward pressure on pilots' status. That's what reduced pay really equates to. The job looks easy when it's performed by a professional. Watching a surgeon work looks easy. Watching an incompetent surgeon is horrendous.