Hmph! Just goes to show you what an ignorant reporter can do with statisitcs. The comparison between the 56k at Emirates and a starting CEP at BA is one prime example of disinformation. The whole article smacks of a BA management attempt to pre-empt the upcoming negotiations with their usual underhand tactics of undermining the pilots.
Regardless of what The Guvnor, 411a or the other 'experts' (not) on the industry say, the fact that there is a worldwide shortage of experienced pilots is largely due to the airlines own lack of investment in training over the last 20 years. Now it is coming back to haunt them.
Supply and demand is the reason that the pilots can now make their larger claims for increased pay. Over the years most pilots have had their status eroded and pay, by comparison, has also lagged behind. All during the years of a pilot surplus the managements got away with their beancounters short term views and eroded pilot pay and didn't bother with investment in training.
Typically of any airline where beancounters are in top management positions, their 'know the price of everything know the value of nothing' skills have left the worldwide marketplace short on the required skill to operate their expensive aircraft. It has come back to haunt them and they are now desperate because of the larger pay demands of the pilots.
It has nothing to do with pay rises and inflation. It is purely a value for money argument. If you want experienced pilots to stay, be productive and operate the very expensive aircraft in order to help the company generate a profit then they are going to have to pay for that service.
Irrespective of what other groups feel, the pilots have to fight to get back their status and the companies will have to pay the going rate for those skills. If that means an increase in prices for the consumers then so be it. Inflation will hurt but at the end of the day it is supply and demand that will dictate the pay that pilots can command.
To call the pilots 'greedy' as LTN Man has done just goes to show that there will always be people out there who envy the pilots at the better paid airlines. Ignore their petty jealousies. If they had put the effort into getting their licences and worked their way into 'the job' they would be in a better position to understand what it was all about. Cabin crew, engineers etc. may also feel jealous but they have their own unions and will be able to dictate their demands based on the supply and demand of their positions.
These companies expect us to operate their tens of millions of pounds of equipment efficiently and safely. It takes many years to train someone to the level of skill required and many more years of experience to achieve a command. Because the managers were too short sighted to foresee the pilot shortage that we now have they are panicing. Serves them right and we need to remain on our guard against their disinformation tactics.