Crew who sign up for the RSR are not on lower pay. They are merely opting for a more condensed roster that exchanges time in outstations for time in Hong Kong. As such they may receive less in overseas allowances, but for those wishing to have more time off at home they are attractive. The Union are making an issue as they are trying to stop CX following the trend of other major international carriers (not just ME but also likes of BA, QF) who have reduced layovers for their long haul patterns. As long as there is crew demand for these schemes it has a pretty weak case.