VORTIME, I am delighted you respect AL pilots. You may well be better qualified to judge the Irish economy but you haven't a clue regarding union activities. You have latched on to the fact that during boom times unions look to increase the T&C's however during the down turns they work with the management to reduce costs even down to job loss. They do this in a fair and balanced way and historically you are quite wrong, those outside the union will have poorer conditions of employment eg. FR.