If there is a genuine concern about traditional T's & C's being eroded, and there surely is, by the use of contract crews who are allowing themselves to be abused for various reasons, then what coordinated action/response is ECA making?
Here the AF guys are trying to stop the rot. Is it too little too late? What have the other heavy weights been doing for the past few years? Have they just woken up to the fact that the world is changing, but they felt insulated? Now they see the attacking hordes at their own fortress gates they choose to take up cudgel. Good on them, but where were the Spanish, Germans, Italians and others, under the ECA umbrella, a few years ago when the slippery slope was getting ever steeper? Did they feel the flood gates would not be breached? Years ago the governments allowed the legacy carriers to fly the flag around the world. There was a definite difference in the service offered by each airline. Now the share holders rule the roost and airlines are all much of a muchness. There is a perception that salaries are too high and work is too soft. I don't agree, but there is a perception. Has that truly been counter argued? I don't think so. The public demand cheap food; farmers are screwed. The public demand cheap travel and the crews are screwed. Both groups in public ignorance of the truth. The same is true of so many other industries. the public demand ever cheaper XYZ and the share holders demand ever better returns. The contradiction and resulting conflict will bring about a disturbed future.