First off, I have no dog in this fight.
However, I'm slightly confused by comments I've seen several times in different threads. They say that BALPA is not doing anything because the respective employers are not doing anything illegal. Isn't this confusing the role of the police with the role of the trade union?
What I can't understand is that this should be the situation:
Police: Investigate and bring charges against perpetrators of illegal acts
Trade Union: Provide a vehicle for collective bargaining and ensure protection of members' working conditions.
To me, these two roles aren't even close. So what am I missing here? I wonder if it is because all big BALPA seems to do is bring the odd case in court. Maybe this makes BALPA seem more like your solicitor than your trade union?
I also wonder if, in general, the pilot body is too apathetic and divided already to ever be unified into striking (in this country, that is). Without any stick, carrot-and-stick just doesn't work and this perhaps explains the imbalance in pay and conditions we're seeing.