Interesting to note that the airline business is different to the rest of the world in this respect.
In all other industries what happens in practice is that the older more experienced people are sacked first, for the exceedingly simple reason that these are the most expensive, thus leaving the employer with the junior less experienced but above all cheaper employees.
Then when the upturn comes they're stuffed because they haven't got anyone left who really knows the job.
[ 02 December 2001: Message edited by: Gertrude the Wombat ]