Nope. Not subtle about it. I'm aware of that. This situation is not subtle either. I'd even say it's very vulgar in essence.
Easyjet has reached a critical mass. T&Cs at EZ have an impact on the industry as a whole. When you guys don't take your responsibilities and mess up your own T&Cs, that does not have an impact on you alone. Why should I be "subtle" ? This situation has gone way beyond acceptable and has turned raw. There's no room for philosophy anymore. Philosophers get eaten alive.
I read comments calling for evading to the Middle east. What are you ? Wimps ? "Oh, I'm so scared I have to leave to the moon. Maybe they'll be nice to me up there. I'm only a poor little gentle puppy. Don't hit me and I'll be your friend."....Pathetic !
When are you going to act as grown ups, for christ sake ? Management is playing cat and mouse with you, using the wide range of your weaknesses. And you're diving into it.
This supply and demand issue is BS. If they're told "no pilot will get paid anything less than 60 grand upon landing at EZ or your planes stay on the ground", you'll see you could have 500 cadets waiting at the gate and EZ pilots receiving good salaries and a more livable life. This supply and demand issue is only good for those who don't want to face the abrupt reality and the fact they will have to go to war at some point, whether they like it or not.
Joe Public is not an issue either. He'll never agree on a strike anyway and will always think you get paid too much. Who cares ??? He'll have to buy his cheap ticket some other day or fly another airline. That's part of the pressuring tool too.
Last but not least, the impact of an increase of your salaries upon the ticket fares is minimal. Some try to scare you away making believe low fare tickets rely on you being reduced to slavery. That is so false. Make your own calculation on a first officer being paid 4000 pounds instead of 2000. Divide this 2000 difference by the total number of passengers flown in a month. That's only 0,22 pounds extra on each ticket if you fly 8400 pax in a month !!!! Do you realise how far from ruining your airline you are by demanding decent salaries ??? It has nothing to do with "we have to pay you peanuts or we'll have to charge twice as much".
What is certain, though, is that 1800 pilots giving up 2000 pounds a month translates into a 43,200,000 pounds gain for the airline in a year. Solution ? Increase average fares by a rough 0.50 pounds and the airline will still make the same sorts of profits with no decrease in pax numbers as the change is painless. No change in business model and no need to make people live in hell. Everybody's a winner.
So, act.
The only thing is it takes a bit of guts and planning.
Very well said Frying.