Let me inject some hypothetical - some of which I know will not be well received by our vocal right-leaning contributors, but so be it.
As an 'individual' what negotiation power do you have to:
a. get paid a fair salary / wage?
b. actually get paid on time, or in some cases at all?
..especially in an environment where one is too scared of losing their job to confront management on issues that may contribute to them losing their lives?
I don't mean to turn this tragedy in to a political argument, but it is a topic for the times we live in with the right for association under great threat. Does anyone disagree that the ability for individual pilots to ensure a fair wage outcome is a dismal failure?
The 'apprenticeship' line is ridiculous if only 1 in 10 make it through to an airline type of salary - that is not an apprenticeship, that is a gamble - one that leads to exploitation.
Do I have a solution? Only a hypothetical, and most likely unworkable one.
Associate.
As a member of the association, abide by your rules and don't undercut each other for work - yes, I can hear the laughing from here - I have been there too - but what other solution is there?
The war of '89 has left a bad taste that lingers - but that was a long time ago, and the country we live in has changed remarkably. What has not changed - except deteriorated - is the conditions for the new GA pilot.
Only by collectively insisting on a fair outcome can you have any power to decide how you provide your skills to the compnaies that need them - and they do need them.
Yes - costs will go up for the companies. Perhaps they should. As was mentioned in 4C - air services to remote areas in our country should be treated as an essentialinfrastructure - just like phone lines. (As should the ATC system - not a cash cow). So the government expenditure should account for this essential infrastructure - perhaps they could trim down their Government Advertising expenditure to pay for it?
Or think mmore carefully before re-arranging our airspace system on the follied notion of saving money for our regional operators?
I have seen how good, safe GA companies operate - and they charge high prices for their services. And Government pays for it - infact they insist on a high level of compliance, aircraft standard, pilot minimums and maintenance standards, before they will let government employees travel on business with these operators - so why does the government not insist upon the same standards for the public at large?
Why is it ok for GA companies to undercut each other to the bone - often in to definite loss - and CASA sits back and watches?
A double standard? I think so.