Personally I don't have a problem with retiring, cashing in the pension and continuing to work at XYZ airlines. It's a well worn career path. I may decide to do the same some day ( well I probably won't because I prefer golf but I WOULD like the option!).
The pension rights that Rainboe accrued were won not because he is a great guy or a super pilot or because he deserves it but because of BALPA and industrial muscle.
I earn a good salary and have a nice pension arrangement similar to what Rainboe had in BA. Likewise it's not because I'm a great pilot or anything but mainly due to the industrial muscle of my association IALPA who negotiated these nice agreements.
AEU is being used as a battering ram by EI to attempt to clobber IALPA and displace my colleagues, and vaporize my T&C's.
Moreover, judging by their 'training' I don't think anyone in AEU can spell Airbus let alone fly one. Our training department are well aware how shambolic the AEU 'training' is but have effectively washed their hands of it. I have to say this is something I find deeply shameful and embarrasing.