Litebulbs said,
"You can't touch me, I'm part of the union" has been long gone throughout the industry and no doubt many in this dispute are only just realising this now.
Based on personal experience, most of the crew I fly with, are sadly still of the opinion that their Union will save them which is why some 8,000(a random figure) are still members. I agree, it should and that has always been my view as well when I belonged to BASSA many years ago.
They failed me, and they've failed their members now and look at the mess we're in. The problem with BASSA is that some of the reps got too big for their boots and it is BASSA who thought "BA can't touch me." This dispute would have been long over if BASSA hadn't thought they were the UNTOUCHABLES.
When Colombus leaked, BASSA should have been intelligent enough to collaborate with BA and work with the company, but they they didn't. Instead, they panicked and simply lost the plot.
PS:
Chesh01, I agree with most of what you've posted, disciplinaries should not be part of the settlement.