Humility be damned! What I earn is nothing to do with anyone else. There are people much better off than me and people far worse off but that doesn't mean I shouldn't push for the best I can get just to protect the feelings of others!
As for the staged rise, I believe this is fairly close to BALPAs thinking, particularly as the results of the comparative pay study suggest this is where the major pay imbalances lie between us and out competitors. I don't believe you'll see much support from our long haul brethren so I suggest we reduce the FHR for all flights >6hrs and redistribute the savings to short haul crews who do the real work in the company. In terms of relative workload in the flying day I can't really see how the long haulers can justify the sums they earn whilst sleeping in the bunk! At least this would stir up some interest from them instead of the usual apathy!!!
Tin hat on!