Hand,
The new PP34 is quite clearly a B scale. Some one who starts now will, after 24 years be on a much lower basic wage than some one who started in January. Over the course of 34 years this will result in a difference of hundreds of thousands of pounds. I doubt many who are starting now are bitter about it, they know what they are signing up to. But as most who start with BA come from other airlines/ walks of life and join after age 31 they will never reach the top pay point.
Clearly current BA pilots will never vote for themselves to go onto PP34 (turkeys and Christmas and all that) but there are many ways to save money without actually cutting pay. I'm sure BA are just interested in the bottom line saving rather than how it's achieved. One example from Studi
implement for example pp34 over all current ranks, while maintaining actual pay level until you are due for the next step increase according to the new table
but this would not affect those on PP24 and above already.
Another option would be to reduce the pay points to say 20. Those already on the highest 4 pay points mark time till rate of inflation catches up with them. This though would initially only hurt those at the top. To make savings off everyone there could be only 10 PP and you only move up every 2 years but at double the present difference. i.e. new PP2 = old PP3, new PP3 = old PP5.
With a bit of creative thinking there would be many ways to make the savings without introducing the B scale.
The problem for the A scalers is that in 10 years or so when the B scalers are in the majority and further savings are required, where do you think the vote for savings will be? It may be to introduce a C scale or to equalise conditions across the board.
regards