secondary action
It doesnt surprise me that this sort of thing goes on in today's airlines,especially a disreputable one like easyjet that has pay-to-fly and divide and rule mentality.BTW,I'm a Brit and was flying when this sort of thing couldnt happen.The strike would have been called by the union in the name of all crews,not just those crews in one base,thus negating the very convenient secondary action clause that the UK pilots are using to look the other way.That is classic divide and rule.I see it as a sign of the times,a sort of microcosm of what is rotten in the airline industry as a whole.
I'm not a big union guy,never have been even when they were functional.But when a thing is wrong,then the union is a very important part of any employment dispute,whatever sector.Everything in moderation I say.We dont want to return to the 70's and see unions crippling the economy,but neither do we want the immorality of what is being allowed to happen here.