The pilots wanted professional advisors present in their negotiations with management and that they got, as long as those advisers at the table are not currently employed by another airline. Fully understandable since no mgmt want to discuss internal terms with the employees of the competitor. It doesn't say they can't be ex employees, independent advisors or full time employees of a union.
Secondly they wanted to negotiate as a whole pilot body. By negotiating on country basis they are part way there, and again they can use the independent advisors to be present at all the different country negotiations, to create a unified solution.
And the potential risk of firing to they who step forward as union members at the negotiations, can be answered by a united front and further actions, since anything on paper offfer little protection and could easily be bypassed by they who like to delay things through the legal system.
The delay in the start of meetings could be because mgmt want to get in some advisors of their own, since there is little sign of them having any experience of actually negotiating with a proffesional union. Or maybe put together a new negotiating team altogether, without so much historical mediapublished baggage.