Stator Vane - I find your 'let's meet behind the bike sheds for a square go to show who's hard and who isn't' mentality very immature and most unhelpful. It is very reminiscent of my Glasgow upbringing and a line of argument most people leave behind when they leave school.
There is a genuine feeling among many pilots in other companies that Ryanair pilots have simply failed to come up to the plate and are now paying the price. That is is no way a criticism as in my own company, easyJet, we are in grave danger of following suit. The situation at Ryanair has become a living warning to us all as to where we may head unless we stand up. We have had an influx of pilots from people like BACON, FlyBe etc who feel BALPA stuffed them in the past and therefore are happy to take the good times at easyJet on the back of everyone else's past efforts.
There is a way forward here and it involves some hard choices by Ryanair's pilots. In the first instance it means people joining BALPA/IALPA (take your choice - I am sure either union would back the other). Without that 'secret' choice you have nowhere to begin. Once you have in excess of 80% membership then the real battle can begin. As one who watches the situation at Ryanair with alarm, I truly wish all our colleagues there every success in the battles they simply must fight. Continuing defeat of the pilots at Ryanair by MOL spells future disaster for us all and we should not deceive ourselves otherwise.
This very same battle is about to be fought at easyJet, and frankly I see no great appetite there for the battle over contracts than I detect at Ryanair now. I genuinely hope that top quality and brave individuals rise to the fore at Ryanair who will ensure that the current slide into professional oblivion is halted. You have my sincere best wishes.