Imagine what happens when the hard times arrive and people need to be laid off. Who chooses who for the chop?
Doesn't seem to be an issue in any other non seniority based profession?
All these people talking about and not having a problem with 'starting again at the bottom' are a fine example of how closed minded this industry can be. If you weren't tied to a company as a result of seniority, you wouldn't have to start again, and just because because you experienced it in the past doesn't mean it should be experienced again by others going forwards... For example, did I have to pay for my training? Yes. If the industry somehow changed to allow people to train without having to pay would I consider that acceptable? Yes. Just because I did it that way doesn't mean an alternative wouldn't be beneficial to the industry as a whole. Quite a lot of 'greasing the pole' going on here, which is the whole reason this thread exists.
If you can't see that seniority suppresses a natural increase in terms and conditions, and that free movement between companies (this happens every day in 'normal employment' by the way) would encourage companies to make themselves attractive, and would also ensure that they were attracting the right people, then I'm afraid there is no hope for this game... Do you think Ryanair and its ilk would be able to ride roughshod over its pilots if they had the option to vote with their feet?
With regards to the arguments quoting 'nepotism'... I hate to break it to you, but occupying a number on a list doesn't guarantee you a command or anything near it, even if it is 'your turn'. The methods and means of preventing promotion can, and still does, exist even within the confines of seniority. I've seen it first hand in action.
Seniority is for the benefit of 'the few' at the cost of 'the many'.... I can't think of a single downside
for the industry to rid itself of this burden, people here who are praising seniority are only doing so thinking only of themselves and as an individual... Which coincidentally is why the piloting profession and prospects, unless you are lucky, is in such a state. "I'm alright Jack" springs to mind.
EDIT: from a redundancy point of view, if a company goes to the wall seniority is meaningless anyway. i can tell you some stories regarding what protection people thought seniority gave them and what the reality was.