I am not a Nigel, but I see big pitfalls ahead with Open Skies if you are not carefull.
I work for a company, that is as divisive as it comes, and that division leads to groups of pilots played off against others with a general trend of lowering of T&C's.
It's happening all over the world in Airlines that are not sufficiently unionised.
I don't believe any management williningly wants to pay you as much as they can, they all want to pay you the minimum they can get away with and keep the Planes Moving.
Staffing is just another cost.
But we are BA LHR with 100% pilot unity?
The danger, and I would suggest long term management strategy of Open Skies, will be to increase it's size and presence (on much lower Pilot T&C's) whilst allowing the well represented and better paid BA mainline group of pilots numbers dwindle with downsizing and non replacement of retirees and those who leave.
Open Skies will slowly supercede BA on certain routes.
This will not affect you in the short term, but if open skies which has considerbaly lower unit costs for staff, starts to become a success.
It will be this higher margin business that will be used to try and break the hold on your T&C's that you rightly have.
BA is looking at how it can compete in the future with Low cost, long haul and for that you should tread very carfeully.
Not having any more expansion out of LHR is bull, it's about costs.