No one held at gunpoint!
I don't have a dog in the fight but I think 'exploitation' is a bit of a stretch.
It's hardly a job in a gulag or salt mine at gunpoint!
Are the remuneration and associated conditions below par? Absolutely, no question. But when suitable staff can be found for the conditions on offer in a free, democratised country then that is a definition of a market rate.
The real question is what to do about it. There are really only two possible options. Reduce the supply of suitable pilots willing to do the job for the conditions on offer (i.e. quit/don't apply) or organise cohesively and negotiate a fairer deal.
There will always be limited good jobs in this part of the world and strong pilot industrial cohesion is usually elusive.
I genuinely wish you guys a fair outcome.
PG