A&C:
The point I was trying to make is that they're getting a *cut* in allowances.
They used to be paid a fixed amount whether they used it or not. Now they need receipts for everything even though they may claim more than their previous allowance.
IOW, they can't make a profit on the allowances any more.
There are only 50 odd OSEs now (most engineers overseas are on local contracts) so taking a few quid off a few people (when thousands of pilots and cabin crew still get lots of quids in night stop allowances) is petty in the extreme.