Catch 22 with Ryanair the more successful they are the less airlines out there to offer jobs on proper T&C's, and by any measure Ryanair BRK contract is basically a scam, it's contractors are not by any reasonable definition self employed, can you imagine a plumber sitting around without pay on standby for days on end for one customers?
Once you cross the line of charging for reading a job application form, then it was only ever going one way and there is a lot further to go yet.
I would not be surprised to see MOL's idea of a free market result in a system of bidding for work blocks, so in December you can bid for 80 hours work in Feb, the bidding will close on the 5th of Jan and the pilot(s) with the lowest price will get the hours,its a win win, the pilot with lowest cost (lives at home with Mummy and rides to work & no girl friend) get to build hours until he can get a job elsewhere, Ryanair want/need people to leave this allows another motivated fresh face cadet with his Dad's credit card to help keep flights cheaper.
Of course eventually some thing will give or Michael Moore will do a film about Ryanair that will scare the pants of the punters, my bet is on the collapse of the Euro and the bun fight that will follow.
Forget unions, the biggest BALPA couldn't organise a piss up in brewery in Ryanairs case. Don't blame the cadet's they have been sold a pipe dream too!!