"they pay us £1k a month for 6 months. At no point are we paying to fly."
Yes, CTC pay us, not easyJet. However what previously happened was that cadets were then employed by easyJet at the end of the 6 months and were paid a salary that was actually slightly higher then that of a direct entry pilot.
What is meant to now happen is that after the inital six months cadets will go onto a full flexicrew salary, if and when they are taken back on for the next summer.
No one is aiming to fly for just the inial six months and get paid just a grand a month, we're taking a bit of a hit to begin a career.