Point 0 5, I mostly agree.
I think many of us oversell ourselves. We hold a qualification not dissimilar to an accountant, not a degree, but a tech school equivalent. Yes, yes, some accountants have degrees, but most don't.
It is a special sort of job, no doubt about it, but it's just a job.
In answer Drop's post (and might I say a rather crass nom de plume you use) Who is required to make decisions quickly, in an unnatural environment, etc., The answer is a doctor in an emergency room, infinitely higher qualified than we are, and being paid a fraction of what a QF 747 Captain is paid, much younger without much life experience, etc.
But let's not attempt comparisons because it raises nothing but frustrations (and blood pressures). Try to justify it on work value, and I think we would be hard put to continue to justify the salaries paid to QF and Ansett post 89. I'm sure the industry can afford it, but aircraft are becoming simpler to fly; compare the modern jet airliner of today with one of even twenty years ago, multi GPs nav systems, everything auto, etc. Still some decisions to be made, but a whole lot easier than it was a generation ago.
Besides, if Geoff offers 100K a year for an A330 Capt, he will be swamped by offers. This tells him that people are willing to do it for the offered price.
We could all do what Kaptin M proffered some time back when Jet* kicked off; boycott the company, but that's dreaming.
Entrerprise bargaining is all about an employer making an offer and an employee accepting it, after negotiation if necessary. You can't stop pilots taking employment at whatever they believe is fair for them. Simple.
Defenstrator, I hope the wormk turns as well, but I'm not even 1% hopeful.
I am prepared to say that if Jet* operated Boeings, and they made the offer of 120K for a 777 Capt, I would be back home in a flash; my feet wouldn't touch the ground getting out. There is no better job than flying within Australia, at almost any price.
Finally, pilotless aircraft are being flown round the globe right now, and it's only a matter of time before we have a single pilot, systems/computer expert, the next step, systems operator only, and then pilotless. In my lifetime? I'd say so. We'll go the way of loadmasters, radio operators and navigators...regrettably.
Ever been on a driverless train? Many airports round the world have them. Does your aircraft autoland? The progression to pilotless airlines is inevitable, and the bonus is that it would be safer when one consideres a great percentage of accidents are pilot error.