212 Man
By your own admission, you are basing your comments on a North Sea scenario.
Here's a few facts about Australia which is what this thread is about afterall:
-BALPA rates for pilots show 10-15% better salaries for North Sea offshore pilots versus Aussy equivalent despite a higher cost of living in Australia
-Kitchen hands earns roughly the same as a year 5 Captain even before allowances!
-20 year old unskilled ramp attendants get paid about the same as a First Officer
It may well be fair to say that the pilots don't earn less than everyone on the machine... but the fact is in Australia, they certainly earn less than most of them!
It should be remembered that the North Sea guys got a big head start on pay and conditions relative to the rest of the world.
Pilots are professionals who spend many years and often many thousands of dollars mastering their art. They conduct daily what is considered one of the riskiest tasks in the oil and gas enterprise. Paying them the same as a kitchen hand or a cleaner is
!
Its time that changed!