This thread is really making me think. Why should anybody give up the terms and conditions that they currently enjoy? When I was at BA, I thought that crew were vastly overpaid, but I could have changed job, applied for crew and been vastly overpaid too.
Do BA want to reduces crew cost, increase flexibility or both? The crew can become more flexible, which will reduce cost, but in return claw back a percentage of this saving into their pay. That is negotiation.
BA will be in the black again and some people somewhere will be making loads of cash, so why should the employees miss out.