screwball,
Surely every airline has standards and if you fail to meet those standards, you are given training, a line check and then let go if you still fail to make the grade.
Not sure I would put my family on an airline that did not let substandard pilots go. Yes there are times when the company does not train very well and checks a bit too often but I have known a few people who have left the company through the years and the company has been pretty good at giving a lot of extra sectors, sim time and training to struggling pilots. They are pretty patient in that regard in my opinion, as much as we like to complain about the many facets of Cathay. Of course, speak to the individuals concerned and they have always been unfairly treated and it is never their own fault.