OW22, you may think the argument is absurd. In that case you no nothing about ryanair, for example.
History in a nutshell: DUB once the best paid base in ryanair. Each subsequent base on less money than previous. These lower paid contractors now working ex-DUB with no longer the old well-paid contracts on offer.
Also, what is your stance of the basic issue: that the company have unilaterally broken freely entered into agreements and then refuse any form of negotiation?