About a year ago Ryanair pilots decided to reject BALPA's advances in the face of outrageous threats from their management. It should come as no surprise to anyone that their Captains are being stuffed from a great height by an immoral and treacherous management. It was within the Ryanair pilots' power to change their lot and they rejected that opportunity. It should come as no surprise to them that the excesses being quoted here are coming to pass. I wish them nothing but good, whilst feeling a sense of deep frustration on their behalf that things could be so much better if they had chosen more wisely.
The only real difference between Ryanair and easyJet is the presence of BALPA. As others will rightly say, things are far from perfect at easyJet and there is much to fight for. Nonetheless, we are in a position where we can fight and have a degree of corporate cohesion as a pilot body which appears to be lacking at Ryanair. That is not to knock any Ryanair pilot, but to make an observation that no man is an island - we will all do so much better together, with all the tensions that brings, rather than facing the battle as individuals where we can just be picked off.