Inevitable, is it?
Are victoria line (ATO) drivers earning less than their colleagues on the Piccadilly line (manual) then (they aren’t)?. Are airline pilots paid less when they use autopilot (they aren’t)?
Why is it you are so keen to see a union “broken”?! Statements like that make you sound very bitter.
What is it you do yourself for a living? Let me guess. Your own T’s and C’s have gone through the floor and now you want to see the same happen to others...
I think it is inevitable too. Not tomorrow, not next week or the week after - but one day.
I don't see that a driver could ever go entirely, but they could be hands off for most or all of the journey. They're not paid for driving a train today (it's relatively easy to move a train forward and stop it) but rather the knowledge they possess and how invaluable they are in dealing with any incident they're involved in.
I wouldn't fly on a plane that took off, flew and landed on its own. I know a plane can do this today. I know a plane may very well do this a lot of the time. I also know the pilot(s) can step in if they have to.
The issue isn't so much the day trains can drive themselves, but rather what technology will do on a more gradual basis to reduce the training and monitoring/assessments that a driver needs to go through. That, sadly, is likely to lead to shorter training times and lower pay over time. Again, I would say that's inevitable and it matters not what T&Cs other people are having to put up with because sooner or later 'they'll come for you too'.
ATO doesn't impact on drivers at all, but it will be setting the ball rolling for those in power who will start to wonder about how much they can extend it. But look at the motor industry and all the problems there.. Some people are unable to look at the bigger picture and realise we're still some way off. Because planes spend time in the air with little interaction with things like pedestrians/trespassers, animals, fallen trees etc, it's probably easier to get rid of pilots before anything else.