You will call me cynical, but unfortunately pilots and their union(s) do not stand up for themselves.
Longer EASA duty times were allowed in with barely a murmur. UK allowing EASA licensed pilots but not the other way round. Pay and conditions are dropping.
I even had incredulous looks years ago from my own colleagues when I suggested that we lobbied to stop flying on Christmas Day. (Yes, I know it is lucrative for the airline, but we crews got no bonus for it - most other trades would get double or triple pay - and if the flights did not exist, passengers would simply fly before or after Christmas.)
So we see pilots now paying frankly obscene amounts to get themselves trained and type-rated, and then have to jump through numerous hoops and then possibly even have to pay to be employed, then have long duty days, but it's OK because there is a fatigue reporting system
PS, I started flying aged around 35, starting with night mail runs on very old, basic turbo-props, but ending up on the A330 before Covid struck. However, that was years ago, I don't know if it would be possible today.