@2unlimited: Regarding China of course they have a great demand and a low supply because they have requirements beyond what is required in EU or in the Emirates. One of them from what I both heard and read is a very strange medical and it takes 6 months of waiting before they are sure if they give the job or not. That is why they have to pay 300 000 and not for example 150 000 - 200 000, if they had the same kind of assessment and medical requirement as European airlines got for their captains they would have a queue probably in front of their recruiter while paying 150 000 - 200 000 instead of 300 000.
As for all the things you write about self employment in Ryan Air its probably what the scheme was (and still is in UK) before they realized it could be done simpler. From what I heard the deal they offer in Poland now is self employment in the simple way just as LOT does it in Poland. And all you write is probably correct and nice and well in UK.
BUT in Eastern Europe as employee it is as you wrote "your contract can be terminated without reason, fairly or unfairly, does not matter, you don't have the same legal rights, as somebody who is employed" IN UK. It apply to any profession not just pilots, any company offering the minimum contract for employee as the law require can do it. You do miss the point ALL the time, its not being employee in UK we talk about, we talk about Eastern Europe where you will not miss out anything while being self employed other than missing having to pay a lot of tax.
And as for Ryan Air salary for captains, the point is they pay the same salary as they pay in UK or other places to self employed. Its not like employee contract where they say you got lower living cost there and there. So actually Ryan Air captains can get up to 100 000 Euro per year with a base in Poland.
PS. I did not mention Ryan Air as golden standard of aviation, just no one else pay more with a base in Poland. Then I just said that pilots in Poland who I spoke with never said they dream of Lufthansa or KLM but some said they dream of Emirates. As for China everyone heard about it but I met no one willing to risk to fail the assessment or medical there and lose 6 months waiting for the job. Living in China that was NOT the problem (10 years working in china for 300 000 taxfree and saving 2/3 of the salary then investing it in Poland (you could buy a whole fleet for a flight school or a castle hotel to rent) would make even your grand-children live like kings).
Last edited by KT1988; 3rd May 2019 at 11:33.