Hi Bealine
The problem with the over the fence bickering is that it gets us nowhere and just causes strife within the company between people who are colleagues.
To answer some of the questions you raised. The apparent ease with which the pilots came to an agreement with the company was down to the way in which BALPA approached trhe problem. They, along with all the TUs were invited by BA to examine the company books - all they had to do was sign a non-disclosure agreement, and hey presto they could see the exact nature of the problem facing the company. They were asked to make a level of savings and given free rein to do so, they consulted with the pilots on how to achieve this - productivity or pay or a mixture of both. BALPA then constructed a proposal which met the pilots needs and BA's needs, a ballot was held and an agreement reached.
To compare this with the approach of BASSA and to some extent UNITE. They refused to sign the NDA and were not given access to the company books, refused to accept the need for permanent change and failed to consult their members. A solution to the problem was created and put to BA. BA had the agreement costed out and it was financially ludicrous, and therefore it was rejected. BASSA then refused to negotiate using sensible maths and hey ho here we are with impositition which the company told everyone, in advance, was going to happen.
Unite and BA were "quite close" to an agreement over the A scales and GSS way back in June but coming to an agreement would have left BASSA dangeroiusly exposed and so UNITE registered a failure to agree for all groups. Sad to see union politics playing with peoples lives and jobs in such a fashion.
Secondly the amounts involved. We all build our lives around the bottom right hand corner of the pay statement - it matters not a jot how much you earn it is how much you have at the end of the bills £62 in your case. Debt doesn't care whether you earn a lot or a little. Though I conceed your point that it can look like it is easier for someone earning more to take a pay cut.
The canteen discount is a minor irritation to most pilots. I don't mean to belittle the importance to you here, let me explain. Long Haul crew do 4 or 5 trips a month. Usually you arrive, brief and go to the aircraft - maybe grabbing a coffee on the way but not if you are short of time as you cannot take it through security - besides there will be a cuppa on the plane. Short Haul have a higher exposure to the canteen but again it is not a critical part of their lives. So rather than being accepting of the price changes, rather as a whole we are largely ignorant of it - it does not have a big impact on our lives. It is an issue that most would probably support you on fully if ut were made more important to us.
Finally, cabin crew pay. They, on average earn twice the average rate for crew - a lot more than Virgin, for instance. The basic may be low but the allowances bump up that figure considerably. Also it must be remembered that these allowances are not taxed as income, but at a much lower marginal rate. That is to say a far higher proportion of the money that is earned as allowances ends up in their pockets. This is the same for pilots, the difference being that the pilots do not earn the high allowances having changed the system of allowances about 5 years ago- it is now about £2.80 an hour for pilots and no box payments for late flights. Cabin Crew in BA - even on the new contract still take home a decent wage.
I wish you well in your future, I have no axe to grind - we all have a living to make, but find myself angered when I hear the nonsense of " I would rather take the company down than accept this." We all have a choice, we do not have to work here, if things are so bad, move on. Take your skills and go elsewhere. I do not mean that harshly, just simply don't threaten my mortgage over a fit of pique.
I guess my bottom line is please don't strike unless you are absolutely clear what you want and have done some reading and research of your own. Please do not blindly trust BASSA, their comms are childish and puerile, and often mislead or omit. Do what you must do but be informed about it.