Bruce Wayne
Thank you for your measured reply, I appreciate it.
I don't really want to get back to the RYR/BALPA thing on here but dont think it is TOO much thread drift to reply.
The issues over BALPA per se I cannot comment on, can only generalise. My views re BALPA and Unite have been expounded to some extent, I think better representation would be gained if Unite was to subsume BALPA, it would stop it being viewed as a BA club to start with.
Re the use of contractors, as I posted, almost every sector of the UK economy has been using contractors/agency for years, the majority of the BAe Systems fitters at Woodford were agency and a private aviation company looked after the Canberras at St Mawgan when I was in the RAF, that was as far back as '71. Under present UK TU legislation no union can prevent any company using agency especially a company that does not recognise the union. BA may have been prevented using them because BALPA has the strength there to bring the company to its knees if it tries to replace a vacant post with agency. I am NOT stating that that has been the case or not.
The problem with conversations such as this is that people assume unions have powers that they no longer hold. Which, strangely enough, is usually the reason they have a negative view of unions en total.
If you would do me the great favour of reviewing my posts you will see that I do not call people union busters or Ryanair management stooges unless they have appeared to me to be deliberately distorting things or spreading misinformation. In general I try to conduct myself in a polite and dignified manner and expect the same from others.
I do not envy the position of the BRK pilots, they are victims of circumstance which MOL etc will exploit but, as stated earlier, this only mirrors what has been happening within the rest of UK since early '90s.
To get back on thread, it appears to me that BRK require everyone to be their own Ltd co, I think it is illegal for a contract to contain a requirement for the contracting co (pilot) to use the services of specified accountants. They may require your accountant to be member of a relevant professional body but I think that is as narrow as they can get. Take advice.