Well..
You can't expect to post something like that and not get a reaction - perhaps that's what you wanted - perhaps your experience with BALPA was not a good one..
However - the guys who hold positions in BALPA in my company are absolutely fantastic. The amount of work they get through on our behalf beggars belief - and they are always at it, whether on BALPA 'days off' or taking/making phone calls down route when most people just head for the bar.
This is a bit of thread creep away from the main subject but I couldn't let a comment like that pass.
And I'm sorry that your experience of BALPA has been negative, I really am, but it's not always like that.