One of the most important reasons for TUPE is to protect workers when a contract changes hands. Its purpose is to maintain the continuity of employment, terms and conditions so that workers are not disadvantaged when a new company takes over an existing contract. However on closer inspection of the TUPE rules there are "outs" for the new company and the one that may concern pilots is that an employment contract may be varied where the sole or principle reason is an economic, technical or organisational one. In this context "technical" could mean training pilots on a new aircraft type (Berr reads: "...a reason relating to the nature of the eqipment or production processes which the new employer operates (i.e. a technical reason)..."). I know this was of concern to the Flightline guys prior to loosing the IAC contract.