Cap'n P, I don't "demonise" BALPA, nor do I wish to hijack this thread, but you, and others, do have a tendency to gloss over their patent inadequacies, albeit you have a more realistic appreciation of their MO.
Nevertheless, in the main carriers outside of BA they do seem to be singularly inept at protecting the rights of individuals: they may have some success in protecting the rights / Ts & Cs of some minority groups, notably themselves through the CC system, but the needs of the individual are not a priority for them, and you would, no doubt, endorse that, as Arkwright so visibly demonstrated.
And that is where my problem with unions lies: the self interest over the needs of the group.
When you can reform the BALPA equivalent of "Member's Expenses" and in one company reliably demonstrate, time after time, that the union will support the needs of the many over the needs of the few, or will refrain from sacrificing certain rights of the many for some crumb thrown from the table for a few rats to sate themselves on, then I might be more inclined to take some notice of the vitriolic pro-union lemmings.