I've spoken to a pal of mine who is both angry and philisophical about the whole thing (If that's possible).
He's been offered half salary for Dec, Jan and Feb with a view to returning in March. However, this money will not be paid until his return, Globespan want him to be on a 10 day standby over this period, and he IS NOT to do any other flying unless he has the written permission of the company.
Half the wages (unpaid for three months) and an inability to do work elsewhere to make up the salary differance is pretty un-reasonable in his view. It's this bit that has made him angry. If I were in his shoes I'd be feeling a bit p!ssed off at that clause in the contract too.
Reading between the lines, it would appear GSM have taken a hit and expect a quiet winter. They know they need crews for the summer and are trying to procure them early. But I feel they're going the wrong way around it.
If I were GSM management I'd think long and hard about potentially restricting the amount of flying a guy can do when you've just effectively offered that guy a 50% pay cut. Who would sign up for that? Who can AFFORD to sign up for that with Xmas just around the corner?