There have a been a number of comments about how pilots have degraded their own T&Cs over the years, and I think that is absolutely correct. I don't think BALPA have helped one iota, and why they didn't leap on airlines when they began charging new hire pilots for type ratings I have no idea. Pilots as individuals are pretty straight no nonsense sort of people, but do not act well as a group. That is one side of my point.
The other side is that aviation as an industry is not prepared to invest in itself, especially in it's people. There are no scholarships available, no cadetships, no financial investment in new pilots by the industry. Any money that is available is from private sources, most often from the aspiring pilot himself. Somehow the supply of pilots continues to satisfy the industry's needs, and the argument of supply and demand applies in the sense that airlines don't need to pay out whilst they can suck the lifeblood of other people's investments.
As pilots we need to either insist on more financial help from airlines at the training stage, or better salaries (and no self-sponsored type rating schemes) once working in the industry. We need to put pressure on out company councils, and union representatives, and airline mangers to increase salaries, or invest in cadetships. It's up to us to stand up with a bit of pride, or to accept the situation, and stop moaning.