This makes sad reading, typical of the BA/IAG approach towards things i'm afraid . I've seen it first hand.
Best of luck to everyone involved.
Someone mentioned the middle east earlier - the fact that it's not home etc. I can say that from a very neutral point of view, although it is not home, you do get used to it and all companies offer lots of leave to get home anyway. Fingers crossed that no one is forced to apply due to redundancy, but should the situation arise, it is not as bad out here as people say on the ME forum. Everywhere has positives and negatives.