MC,
At the last 2 places I've worked (both airlines with their own dispatch depts @ LHR) they would not usually take on f/atpls's purely because they knew they would be off when a flying job came up, and as dispatch jobs in airlines are like rocking horse ****, they wanted people that were going to stick around.
I agree with you though when it comes to the circus in regional airports, some of the 'tards they employ !!!.
