I don't think a full ban on short term contracts is plausible... but something has to be done. Perhaps a rule stating that permanent contracts must be handed to meet the forecast needs of the company but where these forecasts fail to meet what is actually required then crew can be outsourced.
As has already been stated though, we can sit here and speculate possible changes that could happen and moan about the raw deal that this industry is handing it's pilots but that gets us no where.
I can't see many cadets jumping at the oppertunity to pay an extra 4-5 grand to then be contracted for 3 years on a wage that wont cover their loan repayments but as stated by R T Jones already, if the oppertunity is there is it worth passing up so someone else can take it. In the case of the rumour of cadets having to fund a type rating upto £30,000... CTC has been a company that those without access to funding could join and realise their dream of become an airline pilot... the holding pool is currently comprised of those pilots and I think it highly unlikely that hardly anyone has access to that kind of money. If they do though are they willing to spend that extra dosh on a TR with little promise of a permanent contract?
I guess time will answer these questions.
But its interesting that the BA cabin crew are been slated with vitrol on this forum for doing exactly the same thing and standing up for there T&Cs!
It's really more to do with the timing of their strike... it is very possible that such action could cause BA to go bust. I hope that talks start before the strike occurs and resolves the issues.