In 1989 vitually all of the Australian pilots went on strike.
I was working for an airline with a strong Australian heritage in Europe.
I was, at the time, the Pilots' Representative.
I was rung up (on what used to be called a telephone) by the (Australian) boss at headquarters in UK. He wanted us to send six pilots to Australia to fly the Australian-registered aircraft and did I have any comments.
I said that I would not have any problem with them taking a couple of G-registered aircraft to Australia to work on a wet-lease. (wet-lease costs a lot of money and, historically, has hastened the return to the negotiating table by the employer). (In fact, Dan and Britannia sent a lot of aircraft and crews down there).
However, I was totally against six of our pilots going out to Australia to sit in the pilot's seat of an Australian-registered aeroplane.
I managed to dissuade the first six volunteers.
Really, all I had do was ask them how they would feel if a bunch of Australians turned up at the front gate to fly our aircraft.
However, I am ashamed to say that another six went out there and sat in Australian VH-registered seats.
I don't particularly like the scab word but this was as close as I can ever get to it.
So, let us get back to EZY LIS. Are the Lisbon aircraft CS-registered or G-registered?
That really is the crunch point. If they are all G-registered aircraft then the LIS crews cannot surely object to a UK-based crew flying the G-registered aircraft?
Likewise, the UK crew would be on very shaky grounds if they didn't get down there and do what they were rostered to do, however unpleasant the prospect may be.