Thermal Image Those SIA Mauritius Pilots do not come that cheaply to SIA as you would have us all believe.
These Pilots pay no tax in Singapore thus losing the Singapore Government {the majority shareholder in SIA} some $30000 each per year plus the local economy also loses out because they spend their money outside Singapore. Most of these Pilots were not prepared to join SIA and be based in Singapore and most have also not been in the Airline that long apart from those who transferred out of mainline to live at home.
It is normal practice when job cuts are inevitable for 'Last in First Out ' to apply.
To keep all Pilots on the payroll at far lower salaries is not the way to run things,but for SIA is an ideal way of rubbing the pilot's noses for daring to not go along with the dictates of management without looking at the smallprint first.
Seconded Pilots are not technically employed by SIA and therefore should be the first to go IMHO. AlphaS is correct in its taking this attitude.