How can they justify paying WSOps differently? It's a tricky one. And it's at the Flight Sgt level and above where it takes effect as I understand it. At present the justification must be that the training is harder (debatable) and the job more technical (debatable) to be an Air Eng (I'm gonna use the old terms) or an Aeop or Air Siggie. I for one don't see why we are not payed all the same. However is an ALM on a Tristar doing a job which required more training and technical knowledge than the Air Engineer on the flight deck or the Lead Dry on the Nimrod? I suspect not. A Flt Sgt on an SF Herc or Chinook however could very easily justify being on the higher pay band, but they wont be.
I say up band everybody in the ALM world and lets crack on. Standing by for incoming from the Tristar fleet........