The words 'delicate situation' doesn't even begin to describe it.
The trouble that you've got is that CX are interviewing again right now, and this current batch of interviews is where CX management are dipping their toes in the water to see how hot it really is. And take it from me they're finding no shortage of quality pilots who are happy to defy the ban. There is a lot of resentment, confusion and misunderstanding outside of CX about how the ban has been implemented, you guys may or may not like it but there's a large school of thought that agrees with wizofoz on this one.
Sure, the ban and the horror stories posted on PPRuNe from the union guys, have scared off a great many people from updating with CX recently (myself included) but does it really matter? Think about it ... we'll never know the true percentages involved, but lets be generous and hypothetically say that the ban has prevented 75% of prospective pilots from applying. No big deal - in the current climate it just means that they have now got maybe 5 suitable CVs on file for every position, instead of the 20 they might have had before the ban took effect. Has it not occurred to any of you people in the union that once management see that they can still attract suitable pilot candidates despite the ban (and, even better for management, the new pilots are obviously not going to be 'troublesome unionists' because the union won't have them!!) there'll be a damn sight more than 49 HKAOA members on the streets before long?
I honestly respect the desperate stand you guys are taking, and personally I wouldn't work in Cathay right now for any money. Doesn't change the fact that I know guys - good, hard working pilots, that happen to have been out of work for the last 8 months - that have been called recently, and are going to go for it. You may hate them and call them scabs and you may even be right, I'm not saying I agree with their decision but it's a fact that it's happening right now and you can't ignore it.
I don't know what the answer is, but it doesn't involve totally relying on the ban in the face of the evidence - that there ARE plenty of people willing and able to take the jobs, and probably enough to replace the whole lot of you if it came down to it. You need to stop alienating people, above all start talking to the new hire guys and get them on your side quickly, otherwise one of these days you're going to wake up one morning and find that you're struggling for the return of the 149 instead of the 49 ... or that there's only 49 HKAOA people still flying ... or none at all. Don't think that it can't happen, ask any Aussie.