Redundancies
cxorcist, you have a short memory. Many flight engineers were made redundant.
Remember ASL? 42 Flight Engineers did not have their contracts renewed by CX and had to apply to "ASL" if they wanted a job. Same job, same aircraft, same Ops manuals. Redundant or no contract renewal? - a mute point! Around a dozen Oz F/Es did not get a job as there were fewer vacancies in Oz.
Then there was the winding down of the classic fleet. All the remaining F/Es were made redundant but some were later re-employed in junior positions at ASL with, of course, the associated loss of pay and conditions.
The GMA, the DFO and the MD cared not! Lots of sympathy from the AOA and others though!
I would not rely on past history.