As I understand it, to have had new joiners integrated with existing CC, existing CC would have had to accept a reduction in the payments made for trips/allowances etc, more realistic 'disruption', days off away and at base and so on. This BASSA etc refused to consider.
That would presumably have involved some kind of overall pay cut, (with shares as a sweetener as with the pilots?) but the terms for new joiners may have been better as the same cake would be shared more equally?
Certainly the union could perhaps have realistically negotiated in an attempt to find an integrated solution, it's a little rich now to say how bad mixed fleet terms are, when, effectively, those looking out for existing CC could be said to have left MF to suffer in order to preserve existing CC terms. Ie the totally selfish option. (btw, this comment is not aimed at BG and the like, who I am sure would have negotiated if in a position to do so, more BASSA and it's latest ballot reasons, and various comments from existing crew I have seen on the BA section of cabincrew.com). Plus if they had at least tried negotiation, even if it failed, BA would be much more the
PR loser.
The savings from IFCE are in two parts, 1) from existing CC by working less crew to an aircraft, but basically getting the same money as before, and 2) the lower pay of new joiners. Certainly I can't see any reason why existing CC should be immune from any budget savings just because new crew are coming in at a lower rate of pay. The rest of BA staff have had to live with the results of budget savings - largely the same way, same work, less people doing it - so should existing CC.
Just out of interest, how many crew on MF aircraft? If existing crew are working harder for keeping their higher salary, and the new crew are earning less anyway, there is an argument that they, MF, should either not work so hard, or, preferably, provide a better service to passengers, by having more crew on board. BA does keep going about MF offering better service, more crew per passenger might help achieve it.