I risk the rath of some on here but here goes...
The problem is because our senior pilots, unions and other employment protection bodies have no back bone. Senior pilots earn far too much to give a donkeys ass about T&Cs for those at the lower end and this is part of the problem. They take their eyes of the rot that is creeping up because they know they'll be gone by the time it arrives. Since they are the main T&C swingers in an airline, if they don't fight for rights who else can?
Let me give you an example of how this abuse is controlled within the railway industry. There's no shortage of people wanting to train as train drivers either. It costs well over £60k to train an intercity high speed train driver, but you don't see firms offering train type ratings and line training joy rides with the promise of some kind job offer. Why? because the industry is regulated and the unions, upon learning about any such notion, would cripple this country.
Home come BALPA/IALPA and it's members havn't got the same balls?
Admitedly it is hard for RYR pilots to do anything because sissy Irish law does not require an Irish airline to recognise and negotiate with a union but even still a few hundred pilots queued up at the labour court demanding recognition would soon change this, but this act is too peasant-like isn't it? (laziness and lack of purpose - another problem)
The truth is senior pilots owe us wannabes nothing in terms of securing our T&Cs and it is this harsh fact that is changing the industry forever. As we can see now, paying for your TR is more common than not paying for it. I used to get real angry at RYR and other airlines engaged in charging for TRs but puting myself in their shoes for a moment: If RYR didn't charge 300 cadets £25k a year, they'd be spending £7.5 million of their own cash. What would you do if you were the CEO of such an airline?
