It's important to remember that this was Napoleon (the unions) sending the first regiment in to battle (to get decimated by Wellington's army) as a way of feeling out the enemy and making a position. The real battle will still come- getting all those ground unions in shape for Terminal 5. The TGWU must have known it was not going to get anywhere, but cynically whipped up the crew into this nonsense so they were willing to throw themselves against the enemy. This is not the end of it (but it is for BASSA).