I think we can look at JA's letter two ways.
First off at least he had the gonads to issue it, normally the first we hear of it is the advert in Flight International.
Second it is an admission of management failure Big Style, and Time, in that their policies in regards to pay, QOL etc etc etc, with their arrogance that EK is some golden airline, and if it's here, they will come.
Well, they are not coming, sure the desperate will as they have no choice, but DEC on the A330 is a slow death sentence.
DEC on the B777 will just piss off a large number of experienced F/o's who through no fault of their own will suffer, as we just can't get enough F/o's through the door to release them for upgrade.
This has a feel of the band played on, as the Titanic slid majestically beneath the waves. They have to be seen to be doing something, even though the supertanker that is EK is heading for its own iceberg.