Well we're starting to see the light in terms of some of the inflexibilities but why must cabin crew expect a payment for every eventuality? Why can they not issue their own alleviations when it is apparent the problems are beyond BA's control? There was really no justification for spending two local nights in Prestwick after the snow diversions, so why not just come home without an expectation of cash? Do you recall the SARS crisis in Asia? BA were desperate to keep the HKG flights operating, so much so that they chartered an A330 from Cathay to fly the crew directly from the inbound aircraft to Macau so they could slip there. The journey to Macau was actually shorter than the journey to the crew hotel in Hong Kong! BALPA agreed that the pilots would operate the new agreement, BASSA demanded £1000 per crew member. Some might call that holding a gun to the companys head.
As for flight crew leaving one down I must admit I've never seen this, although you do have a forced draft system which I guess helps, and I'm pretty sure your management don't do a u turn when it comes to the compensation for working one down or forced draft ?
I've seen it plenty of times. HKGs leaving LHR 3 man because the 4th has got stuck in traffic, and quite commonly flights returning home from the far east with either 3 man crews because of sickness/compassionate reasons or the 4th man robbed from the next days flight to cover the shortfall. 2 crew Miamis are regularly delayed beyond the time a 3rd pilot should be called out, but they almost always go 2 man. It's not great but we get on with it because it's not usually the companys fault, nor do we get any sort of payment for it. I'm not sure why forced draft has crept into your points or how it relates in any way to the discussion except to say that most pilots would rather the company did not have the ability to do it and it isn't just some sort of ex gratia payment the company hand out. As for management, I wouldn't trust ours any more than you trust yours, which is why we don't enter the murky world of "I'll do this if you pay me that".