Just to add;
Moreover, there have been a couple of questions towards BALPA asking what it is exactly it will do for it's members. So far, the silence there has been deafening.
What do you want BALPA (which is you and me as pilots by the way) to do for you? You as
BALPA have already started the process for recognition so you as a collective group are actively doing something to achieve formal collective strength. All pilots in the bargaining unit will get a secret and confidential ballot to either vote for or against recognition. It's free and fair and totally confidential but not so free that management won't make threats (memo's and base meetings) and try to intimidate the pilots as has been done with this STN Captain.
Do you want BALPA to STOP Ryanair making dismissals? Do you want to STOP Ryanair management making unilateral changes to agreements and contracts? Do you want BALPA to tell you that you are going to be all ok and to sleep tight?
Surely you can see that
BALPA as you can not make such statements as we are not recognised and there is no formal collective strength to stop these abuses. BALPA is not a fairy god mother and the answer to all your prayers. But is the best available tool for collective strength that we have to stop abuses that will happen if BALPA or a union is not there. Unfortunately you have to rely on a court of law at the moment for these things and after the event has happened because the law is defined but to exercise the legal system you are doing so in a retrospective manner. Also BALPA can not change economic realities. In other words if a company goes bust because of a bad business model or fuel hedging or bad routes how can that be BALPA's as a unions fault?
There needs to be a bit of self responsibility on pilots as to how they stand up for their own rights. There has to be self responsibly of how terms are decreasing and who's fault that is?
Nobody is going to make the decisions for you as it is your life and democratically you have to take responsibility for your own actions as you do in all facets of life just as the company does. You have to take responsibility for yourself and by acting collectively as a group you will have strength in that ability to come to sensible resolutions with companies.
I will leave you with this question also; many pilots who have left Ryanair with disciplinary action but the management choose not to publish that on Crewdock. Why now?