BALPA aren't perfect and are expensive but they do do far more than just have a big office and support CCs. CCs are only going to be as strong as their pilot members - if we want to support a strike then I am sure the CC's could push companies further, but lets face it, who is going to go on strike? Without any leverage as such, its just down to negotiation - the CC negotiating for us line pilots, as a group. Of course not everyone is going to get what they want, that would be near impossible I would think. I guess I could only complain about the result if I were prepared to stand for the CC!!
As for BALPA and its main offices and activities, they do lobby government, CAA etc. and various other organisations on a national and international level. They have been involved with lobbying on things such as the MPL, ATC, European medical regulations, licencing, etc. I guess that you have to read the annual reports, the mag and the website in some depth to find this out though. According to members on the licencing/ training committee at BALPA, they don't want "pay as you fly" either, but there is only so much they can do. They can't tell an employer not to offer it, or tell the CAA not to let these people have a licence. I don't know what the answer is, but I guess its better to have someone doing something than no-one doing anything.
I don't think BALPA is exactly right for what we need, but I do understand that there is a limit any union can do when its members are not militant in any way, and do not wish to get involved in campaigning.
How many people wrote to their MPs to complain about the proposed new FTLs? BALPA sent info out in The Log and by text/ email, but I bet hardly anyone bothered to support the campaign. And I guess if one MP gets a letter from one BALPA member, even if supported by BALPA itself, it isn't going to have much sway!
As someone else said, pilots in general are quite a selfish bunch and also do not wish to "rock the boat". How many of us would go to the head of our company and tell them exactly what we really think?
