Thanks for the heads-up, Flying Lawyer. I enjoyed reading the posts from your link. Rich Lee has a good sense of humour as well as ATOS (all that other stuff). Loved the Brietling comment...
With regard to employment conditions in the Gulf, supply and demand surely governs what is paid - as it does everywhere else. Until supply of suitably qualified drivers dries up, employers have the capability to pay what they like - you can't hold that against them.
Of course, this is all complicated by the pilot-group factor....