Pro union
Clanger, personally I think your points are well made and you're quite right that terms and conditions are being eroded from the bottom but it is affecting the whole industry but is being driven by one company in particular and BALPA needs to recognise that it's principal job is to slow or stop that erosion. This will only be possible if it demonstrates its focus is wider than protecting those at the top of the industry to everyone in the industry.
I remain strongly pro-union for the simple reason that an individual can never stand up to the might of management. History demonstrates that whenever one side has far greater power than the other, the result is never equitable and to the victor fall the spoils. You can think of wars such as the might of Germany stampeding through Europe in 1939 and the human misery this caused the ordinary man if it helps. The only thing that stopped Germany was the allies getting their act together and showing they were equally powerful and determined. The only way an individual has of standing up to unreasonable management is through unionisation. This equalises the power gradient somewhat and forces management to take unionised workers views seriously which is exactly why Michael O'Leary hates the idea of it.
It seems BALPA has negotiated a pretty good result for BA pilots this week, and Thomson some months ago. They're doing and continue to do much to improve matters in my own firm too and they are the ones who keep us abreast of all the current company issues affecting us via a comprehensive monthly newsletter (the company don't tend to do this half as well). When you add in the fact they will stand by you if you ever get into a situation requiring tea and biscuits then frankly for £20 a month it's a bargain!
Come to think of it, with his blitzkreig mentality could O'Leary be some bizarre reincarnation of Hitler?
Desk-pilot