BALPA with some of the FTO's who are dis-advantaged compared to CTC and Oxford should start a well advertised campaign to encourge those not to pay for type ratings, pay to fly or positions that dont pay salaries during line training etc or something similar that is constructive.
BALPA are fully aware of the issues and its often discussed, however its difficult for them to find something to bargain perhaps in this area.
Its not right to have large amounts of personal debts / liabilities instead of something fair with airline operators. I honestly thought the recession would have stopped people from finding extra borrowing to pay for type ratings or poor contract positions with some of those low cost operators. Another issue is how people live whilst doing a type rating / line training and the extra borrowing with hardly any proper income, if any at all.
Obviously Oxford / CTC would not perhaps agree having contracts or associations with operators. At the end of the day, Oxfords product which was integrated courses of good quality with high promise of a proper job with good terms has gone and having to pay for it.
The other issue is the recruitment advertising, under equal opportunities, BALPA's legal department should be looking into this too and see if anything could be done in the UK. Its not fair for companies such as CTC or whomever to directly send pilots into an airline via contracts, when obviously that airline should have advertised for all to apply meeting a fair requirement. This would not happen in other industries as it would unfair or possibly illegal.
I just dont understand why people do not group together and say NO to airlines regarding such issues and poor T&C's with BALPA and FTO's via a well advertised campaign and give it a go. It may eventually even help those experienced pilots with employment T&C in the long term too.