Windjet got their thing "right".
Not only do you have to pay maffia rates, if you don' t know anyone on the inside I hear that you don' t get in.
An employer may not charge its employees any training fees to work for them. Airlines that receive commissions through TRTO' s to cover it up, are doing the same, indirectly.
SSTR' s are legal as far as the employing airline do not receive any direct or indirect compensation. Paying for line training or hours on type is illegal because you are an active crew on duty, an employee. It would be legal if you' d do it only on non-revenue flights, as a form of aircraft rental, not otherwise.
The problem is that no one can challenge these schemes but the CAA' s and labour courts. The not so mentally gifted cadets will not consider themselves victims and will let go. The unions aren' t doing anything about it.