Essentially BALPA is a business PM, not very many businesses who wish to survive sit by and watch idly as their customer and income base is eroded when they can influence it.
If 50 unemployed/students (£2 a month) asked them to do something or 2 BA pilots paying their 1%, who do you think they would prioritise. Democracy and fairness would suggest the former, reality and commercial income means the latter.
An industry/employer could have been influenced in its activities if it was scrutinised rigorously rather than allowed to implement, watch others follow suit and then seemingly ignore in the hope it will go away.
Don't be naive to suggest that pilots upon gaining their first airline job would want to or be in a position to rock the boat by turning into little Skargill until they were established and safe on the seniority list.
As an industry body they should be scanning all media outlets and using every means possible of gathering intelligence regarding this industry. When something blatantly flouts what has gone before they should be all over it like a rash. I want my industry body acting as opposed to reacting. However it seems to me they are more concerned about the colour of the toilet paper in a BA social club.
Just one look at their forum (if you have access) confirms to me they aren't using initiative to act in advance of negative issues for us and are in fact going after easy issues to fill press releases. I don't want the general secretary composing and drafting a letter to PaddyPower and MP's about bets, I want him suing his time better by going to TCX and saying, "so this Canadian thing, baseless mumblings on PPRuNe isn't it?". They monitor that and no doubt these boards and do we ever hear/see anything with any oomph.
I sincerely think a lot of the issues I have already listed will affect us all from 250TT CPL'ers to 20,000 TRI/TRE'ers.
However this thread wasn't started to end up as a BALPA bash, it was to highlight that those who are seemingly safe on the seniority lists from any upheaval are actually starting to show real empathy with those on the first rung of their careers and unite behind a common theme. I was just saddened that BALPA weren't the catalyst.