Well it has to do, cause when the company does not value the experience anymore, and low time pilots join, or pilots with shady credential, was it UO that had a french gentleman as an examiner who was not even a captain to begin with? Then of course they can lower the contract, where are you going to go with your 250 hours? or a logbook full of "Parker 52" time?
Do you see the connection or you are still need more hours?