Stickshake,
I couldn't agree with you more!
It has been demonstrated by international audits that work/pay ratio at BA is quite high, which means working conditions are not as good as people think they are.
As I have said before, I know of several companies in europe requiring less and paying more, so they have a very low work/pay ratio which is better for us pilots.
However, I must admit that many of those companies are situated in South Europe (France for instance) and you must speak French fluently to join them. Not so much of a problem to me (native speaker) as it is to many other people, so I suppose that's the main reason they are less demanding...
Hey, I think it could very well pay off to learn some french... BTW, life at the côte d'azur is much better and relaxer then in Manchester for instance, so what are you waiting for?