Oh yes, times have changed a bit since the mid 60's?
Flying modern multi engined systems aircraft offshore IFR is a world away from bush work 40 years ago in a 47 and people need to be paid accordingly.
Now before the usual ranting starts I'm not having a crack at bush drivers here.
One of the problems of the industry is that some guys never actually make the change in their own minds as to the fact that they are now doing a much more complicated job which requires all the skills of a bush driver and more besides. Thankfully these guys are now all seeing the light and are sticking together to get a better deal and a bigger slice of the pie.
In the modern offshore enviroment and IFR/EMS work you need to be paid accordingly and bush wages just don't cut it anymore. Some good advances in conditions have been made over the last few years but the sooner management realise that the base price for an experienced multiengined IFR offshore pilot has gone up the better.
It is a basic supply and demand problem....the company need their Pilots to be highly qualified, safe and very experienced because that is after all part of the overall product that they sell to the client. This level of qualification and experience takes a long time to aquire and the idea of 'shaking the pilot tree and seeing what falls out' went out with the ark.
Apparently we now need to be "moving forward".