"However, if I accept that airrage and his chums REALLY do have our best interests at heart,"
I think the situation is just a compromise between groups of people, not trying to have anyone's own interest at heart.
"Can someone then explain to me why BACC are not trying to get the same for us? After all, there is no difference that I can see? Why are they openly trying to shut us OUT of the mainline empire, rather than bring us on board. "
I believe they are not trying to shut you out of mainline, but they are trying to shut out anyone operating BA aircraft on inferior T&C's. So when you do operate a BA aircraft it is on Present T&C's. Besides I doubt you really want to operate BA aircraft for less pay than what they offer now ?
I don't know the inricasies of the differences between CFE and Now. Probably a combination of the following; Size of intake, timing of PAY/PENSION/SCOPE negotiations, CFE didn't involve the replacement of BA jobs as in the Regions - it just brought in New Pilots on their own Planes to fly bigger aircraft required them bidding across under BA contract !!