Excrab. I was caught by the redundancies at the same company.
I was not a member of BALPA. I think that some of the CC members were very committed to preserving LIFO in this instance, and worked hard for us on a number of other problems. I think that they were dealing with very difficult managers who I think were woefully unable to manage an airline, as well as being understaffed at the management level. BALPA, the organisation, on the other hand, I have never had a terribly high opinion of. In the days when I was a member I found them nearly impossible to contact, and very reluctant to listen to members' views, but more often trying to tell me what their policy was when I hadn't been asked what view I would like represented on the subject. For instance why did they allow any UK airline to charge employees for their own training? I felt that their fees were too high, their attitude too arrogant, and their staff too militant, but with no understanding of a pilot's worth. I withdrew my support, membership, and money in 2004 after another round of negotiations was ignored by the airline managers, and the CC had received little to no effective help from BALPA. That there is no come back after this particular case from BALPA is of no surprise to me.