Would you really cancel a flight because the automatics are not working?
I would suggest to you, that if you had only flown the a/c manually 3x in the last 18 months, (and that was on a single engine in the sim!) due to your airline's attitude to manual flying/prohibition of manual thrust. Declining to operate such an a/c would be a perfectly justifiable position!
Thank god I have retired
Indeed, because you clearly have no understanding whatsoever of where the business has gone since! Nor incidentally, have the travelling public in their insatiable desire for the VERY cheapest tickets!
and have discovered cruise liners.
The Costa Concordia provided a very sobering view for many months on departure from FCO.
Fare well.