Waldo Pepper - are you a DEP on the 744 at BA? Because if you are you should know what I am talking about. Since I joined things have steadily got worse. Is your idea of "rapid improvement" the 7 years that it takes to get full F/O pay and the full flying hour rate? As there are 24 pay points 7 years on a reduced salary is a big chunk of your time at BA.
You also seem to think that the holding pool is overflowing. This is clearly not the case, as Pontius rightly states. BA is in a hurry to recruit type rated DEPs, yet they expect them to effectively "pay" for their own training by placing them on a reduced salary.
I hope that people think long and hard and ask the recruiters a few more questions before accepting a postion. To paraphrase a recent Rod Eddington statement, there is no need to improve the pay and conditions for pilots at BA as long as people continue to show an interest in working for BA.
NB. The basic starting pay for experienced pilots ie. DEPs at BA is approx. £33,000 (frozen for 4 years). Train drivers at GNER start on a basic of £33,000! Worse still CEPs start on approx £22,000.