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have it "far better"
Is this the France where British airlines (Eastern) are operating domestic routes within the country (maybe because the 'social' costs of employing pilots are less in Britain so that it is easier to employ them?).
Is this the Scandinavia where British airlines (Flybe and BMIR) are operating routes within Scandinavia (maybe again that it is easier to employ pilots in Britain?).
What is better, having 'gold plated' agreements and Ts&Cs but being heaved on the dole or having far from the best Ts&Cs but having a job?
Maybe the problem at Flybe is that the structure is giving the 'bean counters' the excuse to select the way that they have: if everyone earned the same there would be no financial reason to 'cull' the top group because they were expensive to retain? Seniority lists are turning out worthless and the next thing to look at is 'pay scales'. Just have a 'flat' pay as most modern airlines have, then there would be no reason for the 'bean counters' to target those at the top. (After all, does a '10 year' pilot fly that much more efficiently than a '2 year' pilot that he deserves to be paid a whole lot more?)
People must remember that the sole purpose of any enterprise is to make money. So don't criticise your bosses if that is what they are trying to do: if they are doing it properly they will keep you in a job and if they aren't then, the same as in any other enterprise out there, it might be time to think of leaving before things go wrong. But if you are trapped because of your precious place on that 'seniority list' and if 'seniority lists' elsewhere mean that you'll have to swallow all your experience and expertise and start again at the bottom then you will probably be forced to stay until you present outfit sinks. Remember that you're part of an outfit that is trying to make money to stay afloat and keep you in jobs, good old capitalist style. Socialism may sound very nice but , to quote 'Maggie', "the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples' money".
Hopefully others can pick up some of the business that Flybe hasn't managed to run properly and hopefully those others can employ as many of the pilots who are being laid off by Flybe as possible.
BALPA's job isn't to try to flog a dead horse, in fact if BALPA have promoted some of the inefficient policies within Flybe that have caused these problems, then they might have played a part in killing that horse. BALPA's job now is to try to ensure that those pilots are able to get jobs related to their experience, etc., elsewhere. Ensuring that other airlines don't have 'seniority list' penalties for those pilots looking for work would be a good start. That's what the real work outside the airlines is like, it is now time for the airline world, and their unions, to catch up with that real world.