Gnadenburg, agree with both your posts, hand flying skills typically have got to a crisis point, made worse by restrictions on when we can disconnect and have a fly. The irony is the restrictions came about because of how bad things were getting flown by rusty old pilots and new pilots who never had the skills to get rusty in the first place. The restriction have worsened the situation, not improved it!
Also your suggestion that "the unions do have an urgent role to play but it requires an independence. I'd suggest HKALPA needs to be pushed up by the local unions as a voice on these matters". Is an excellent suggestion. It takes the personalities out of it, plus we could get support from US unions and regulators that helped get the minimum requirements in the USA lifted.