Jeez what a bunch of timid, fearful naysayers. I'm all for accepting reality as long as we know what reality is....
The situation:
There is an assumption that masses of Indian labour will come to do the work that otherwise an Aussie would do. This assumes that there are Indian pilots to do it! But there aren't. Even the Indian carriers themselves are having to advertise overseas and employ expatriate captains. The same is true of China and Korea.
Few kids want to take up aviation as a career (why would they with all the expense and crap returns) and CPL issues are as a result at a post-war low. The military supply has all but evaporated and foreign pilots are desperately required in their own countries. Baby-boomers are nearing retirement and all of this whilst globally airlines have unprecedented numbers of aircraft on order.
If my statements aren't sufficiently convincing then have a look at the Boeing forecasts. They (and others) are extremely concerned at the looming critical shortage of qualified pilots, yet nothing is being done to remedy this situation. Something like 49,000 professional pilots are needed each year for the next 25 years but the training just isn't being done.
And no, as the Colgan/US Congress case just proved, you can't continuously drop experience requirements to fill pilot seats.
Reality:
The only people who can stuff up this great opportunity we now have to improve our salaries, terms and conditions is us.
So why this "history is against us, we're doomed to slide down
an inevitable path to poverty" mentality. This is not acceptance of reality it is pathetic defeatism.
How about grasping a fantastic opportunity by the balls and collectively making the most of it. Most of us have had to fight like buggery to get all of the qualifications and pass all of the theory tests and exams and sim rides and interviews and recurrent check that it proves we at least have some ability to rise to a challenge.