LAX,
What is it with this "if you don't like it you should walk away" as if this the honourable way of protecting or enhancing terms and conditions. So what you are saying is that any employer can decide what they want to pay, and the employee, if they don't like it, has to find another job. What a naive point of view. Unless of course you've never worked in a decent job and are just hoping that everybody else leaves and you can now get a chance!
Are you happy that managers of extremely profitable airlines can come up with ever more derisible terms and conditions to enhance their own management bonus scheme and we just have to leave if we don't like it? You might not have the bottle to resist that, but thank goodness the majority of us in decent companies do.
Unfortunately in a lot of businesses (not just airlines) its becoming a battle with regard to rewards. Nowadays there isn't even a pretence of sharing in the rewards that the business generates. Look at the likes of Ryanair or easyjet. Their financial success is improving and yet they are now turning employment of pilots (and others) into a revenue stream!
It saddens me that after 20 years of flying I am just grateful that none of my kids have ever expressed an interest in joining this career. Its being spoilt by the culture of greed in most managers, aided and abetted by the utter naivety of most people trying to join it.