Career Progression.
CamelhAir, pilots with experience were leaving the likes of FR and Easy to go to the larger carriers like BA & Virgin long before low houred pilots were paying for type ratings.
Anyway the larger more established carriers didn't give you a free TR either, they recouped a portion of the training costs through a bonding arrangement. FR doesn’t have a bond you so you are free to find another flying job whenever you like and with a 737NG TR on your licence that wouldn’t be too hard.
Don't you get it at all? Like Sky Goose I am frustrated with waiting around for a RHS and if FR offered my a position on one of their TR courses I would jump at it and give absolutely no thought to the T&C's of anyone else.
I personally know a number of ex-FR pilots who paid for TR back in 2002 who have moved on to airlines in the Middle East and Asia, the one common denominator with all of them is how glad they were to have gotten a RHS from FR initially.
Every industry is the same whether your an engineer, doctor, lawyer, barrister etc etc. All these people pay for the own training i.e. University Degree Courses. They all start off on a salary that is low in comparison to colleagues with more experience yet that hasn't had an adverse impact on future earnings for any of them, nor will low houred pilots paying for their 1st TR.
It's the way of the world, unfortunately aviation is more costly but if you don't like it do something else.