Both sides of the argument fall over somewhere. For example:
- It has been said in this thread that pilots accepting work below award are damaging the industry because they are offering a discount to employers. So two pilot walk in the door, one with a basic commercial license, the other with a commercial, multiengine IFR and instructor rating with multi and IFR training endorsements, turbine experience and aviation bachelor degree all paid for by him or her self (or a wealthy uncle or aunty). Should a potential employer take the basic commercial pilot because the other pilot is discounting the industry?
- On the other hand commercial pilots could band together and, together with a reformist government with an agenda to reform workers' rights, mandate that all pilots (workers) must join their union to be eligible to gain their commercial pilot's license (qualifications). The union could then negotiate with industry about how the education and training of pilots (workers) is paid for. Once you remove the requirement for an individual to pay for their own training you are in a position of selecting the best people for the job, and only pilots on industry funded training get to work for the industry.