Reheat's post above is a good one. Balanced and an accurate sum up of the situation.
As one of those senior crew who've made cabin crew a career, I can see that our seniority based salary structure is a problem, TODAY, in 2010.
It wasn't really a problem 10 or 15 years ago, because most of our main competitors operated the same way and customers were paying more in real terms to travel in the premium cabins. Now, with a lot of competitors of the calibre and pricing structure of the ones the judge mentioned, IT IS.
So what is BA to do about it? Slash the earnings of people like me with mortgages and families to support, relying on a certain income every month? Thankfully, BA have not done that. What they have done is say that any savings will be from FUTURE crew.
Well, actually, thank you BA, you have demonstrated yourself to be a caring employer.
Somehow or other those proposing a strike don't see it that way. The reason they don't is that UNITE don't want them to see it that way.
Why? Gradually increasing group of lower paid crew, only staying 3 years or so = far fewer people willing to stump up £15 pm union dues. Bingo UNITE's "Fight for Survival", rather than that of it's membership.