Unfortunately, what you've described
Herb is the reality of the lifestyle of the long haul expat pilot in the 21st century. The CX guys (at least the ones in the left hand seat; and expecially those on the 'A' scale) are extremely well paid - some would justifiably say overpaid - and I am given to understand that the amount of work is not excessive (so much so that many run businesses on the side).
IFALPA at the end of the day has no legal or other powers over any airline; and if individuals wish to exercise their human rights to work wherever they choose then so be it.
I'm sure that - as with all stories - there are two sides to this one. You claim that you along with 51 others were 'randomly' selected and 'summarily' dismissed. What is management's version of events? Having invested a huge amount of money in the training of you and your colleagues, I very much doubt that they simply woke up one morning and said "right, let's fire 52 guys simply because we can!"
If you think that life at CX is bad, perhaps you should try a stint at SQ!
