Scapa
I don't think you know what a duty hour is. It does not include time down-route. It is only the time that you are actually working. I agree that it still amounts to £6.80 per hour if you assume 2500 duty hours, but it does not include time in the hotel. If it did, then it would be a cushy job indeed.
If a cabin crew member pays £50 a month for their mobile telephone, but then finds the same deal for £20 a month, are they going to stick with their current provider or move to the new contract? Why should BA be forced to stay on the old contract? I agree that it is unfair to just cut a current employee's salary, but they are not doing this. Crew seem to be fearful that this will happen in the future due to the new contracts being so much more efficient. I have to agree that there is some threat of this happening, but this is precisely the reason why BASSA should have recognised that letting New Fleet in the door needs to be avoided at all costs, and they should have been biting BA's hand off to renegotiate the current contracts. Had they allowed BA enough, New Fleet would not be here.
If BA can get people to do the job to the standard that they require, for the salaries that they are offering, then that is the end of the discussion in my opinion. If they think they can earn more elsewhere, people will leave, or even not apply in the first place. It is known as market forces, and that is how the real world works.