To go on strike was a very democratically taken decision and for them to suddenly turn their backs on their union and colleagues is a very, for the want of a better word, shameful way to behave. Most will regret their actions if they haven't already.
To decline strike action is also "a very democratically taken decision".
As for the second statement, I have yet to see a single pilot wearing sack cloth and with her/his forehead daubed with ashes.