ATSE
I actually agree with everything you say but that does not excuse the "powers that be," the regulators, of this industry from enforcing the regulations when needed. That means strict adherence to FTL's, licencing, AOC operations and the like.
Additionally the point I was making was that employment law seems to vanish into the clouds whenever it refers to aviation. There are a million rules that are enforced elsewhere on how employers treat their workers both in work and when they are "released." The likes of Ryanair and many others stick two fingers up at these laws and get away with it. Why? Probably because the regulators are living off the back of the operator. Much like the bank regulators which is why they allowed such a blatent abuse of others money!
Yes pilots are the most incoherent bunch but when I am given a rule book I expect myself and others to operate to it, not choose which rules to abide by, which to bend, and which to ignore!