Chaps, this, and a previous thread started by IHD have been the best reasoned and argued threads on the subject on Pprune.
I think that the time for discussion on PPrune has passed, and it is time to lobby our unions, and our MPs on the subject. For some reason student loans get get a huge amount of time in the Commons, and so should pilot debts. The debt situation is only going to get worse in the next few years as the CAA charges rise as has been published in the CAA charging document (check the CAA web site for the pdf). If we add onto that the cost of including our own type rating, the cost to the employee will be exhorbitant, and will not be compensated in salaries.
The reason for the rise in CAA charges, by the way, is that the airlines are no longer prepared to subsidise GA (which includes flight training). I think this is a somewhat short sighted attitude, but understandable in the current economic situation, and I will not continue the subject here: it warrants it's own thread at least.
The best way to lobby these organisations is that individuals must set out their own reasons and submit them individually. One letter representing 100 pilots is still only one letter in an intray: 100 letters is 100 letters in the intray, on the desk, on the floor, and more coming in throught the door!
Gentlemen: start your typewrighters! 