I don't recall any of us at BA talking about deserving to be paid more. What I object to is being forever told that I deserve to be paid less.
It all comes back to a management whose reward is based partially upon a "margin" and partially upon the success of their own department. This results in problems being shipped sideways with no-one prepared to come up with a solution and risk their departmental bonus. This leaves the "margin", which can then only be met by cost-cutting and who are the easiest targets? Those who take it without a fight.
BA needs fundamental changes to ensure that those in management take the long-term view rather than the current short-termist silo mentality. This will require bold leadership (and a chairman who knows something about airlines who is prepared to recruit a CEO with vision) from someone who is prepared to be ruthless with the middle tiers and the wastage, not scrimp and scrape pitiful savings from the frontline where the (remaining) customers will suffer and where there is nothing left to give.