It's all very well for Alfamatt to say what he/she does about what to do from a BA perspective.
As a BA pilot I have no axe to grind in your dispute with your company; but what I can do is offer a few observations:
1. If you think you are in an awkward situation now, just wait for the propaganda and personal pressure to be applied to you and your families by the company in the next few weeks. The full might of the corporate machine will be brought to bear and it will be VERY uncomfortable
2. You will be made to feel that there is a real possibility of their being no job to return to.
3. The company will aim to fragment support
4. The company can outlast the majority of individuals who have rents/mortgages/credit cards to service. The city corporations will support the managment as they will have been briefed to the long term cost benefits.
5. BALPA usually recommends having 2 or 3 months salary available as cash on hand to fund any dispute - do you have that?
6. If you strike and lose a weeks salary, or maybe two. If you then achieve say 6% vs 4.8%, how long will it take to regain the lost money? Quite a while, especially when you take into consideration possible interest payments etc.
Now, at the end of the day, I support any legal action, but you have to go in appreciating the possible consequences and understanding them and the financial gains/losses that may result BEFORE you make that decision.
One thing Alfamatt says that I agree with is about unity baing crucial.
Even then, ask Alfamatt what BASSA achieved at BA with a 96% strike mandate earlier this year - and don't be mislead by the BASSA spin - they were destroyed almost to the point of extinction by BA. This is exactly what BA wanted - a weakened BASSA (rather than a total vacuum which a bancrupt BASSA/T&G would have meant) which will enable the company agenda to progress in the coming years.
What mandate do you have? 41% said reject, 30?% for strike?
IMHO, you won't win anything with that level of commitment....