52049, that lovely phrase "entitled by law", the meeting of politics and business. It would seem that the only part of the equation not "entitled" to anything are companies and their shareholders.
Companies and shareholders are not generally big fat cigar smoking types these days. They are more likely to be your pension fund managers for example, or your insurance company, or an investor trying to generate yield for his/her cash beyond what can be achieved just sticking it in a bank. Without those private interests, there would be a lot less benefit for the general public. Can you imagine a world where only government owned flag carrying airlines existed ?
What makes anyone think that they are "entitled" to be provided for by those investors in anything else but a mutually beneficial relationship. As in any free market should the mutual benefit cease , then so must the relationship.
I run a number of businesses across Europe where staff fully (ab)use their "entitlement by law", to sick leave and overtime, where even stealing from the company is not considered by courts as dissmissable in an industry where trust is everything. Over at Airbus, a perfectly good series of aircraft is in danger of extinction because of political interference and employee intransigence, and will they all be happy when Boeing have 90% of the world market and they are all sitting at home jobless on state benefits.
What happened to the need to
earn something rather than expect instant entitlement without any contribution. I can assure you that management candidates up for interview with me assure themselves of instant disqualification if they even breathe the word entitlement before they have had a chance to contribute anything.
As for your comment about "just a job", I would have to say that on balance the evidence suggests that it is not just a job for many of your colleagues. Having had a look around the net, I have struggled to find a Professional Accountants Rumour Network for example.
Take a poll among well paid managers in mundane jobs, ask how many would take a pay cut in exchange for a front seat in a 777, you would be surprised at the positive response you would get