Wind check - you talk about a 'normal world' . This world no longer exists. As I said, times have changed. I couldn't agree more with you and you are right - that would have been the ideal process that you mentioned. But its one that doesn't exist any more. Sadly, TP pilots are no longer taken on by easyJet and Ryanair.
Your payment figures are incorrect. Cadets do receive payment during line training and the GBP18 figure is not one I have ever heard of.
At the time I took it, my type rating cost GBP 22,000 plus living expenses, so around 25,000. In my first year at Ryanair I earned GBP 46,000. In my second year GBP 52,000 and my third year GBP 55,000. My costs that you mention were uniform about GBP400 which has lasted me so far, annual medical about GBP130 (forget costs of LPC/OPC as that's just automatically taken out of gross pay so the income figures about already factor in the fact that sim training has been paid).
All in all the tea / coffee / food I have to take to work plus occasional new shirt or annual medical equate to an annual equivalent of about GBP300. Big deal. It's by saving these expenses that Ryanair thrives and grows the low cost aviation business.
I'm not saying this is as it should be or the old system didn't create better pilots - it probably did.
What I AM saying is cadets are not stealing jobs. They are job offers on the table which a lot of people find hard to turn down. I applied to dozens of TP operators and small companies when I gained my CPL/IR and didn't receive a single reply. Ryanair offered me a job and I took it and earned (for my level of experience) good money. You're right - there is no guarantee of fixed salary etc. But the figures above speak for themselves.
5/4/5/3/5/2 - whatever the roster - again you cannot argue with the facts. I worked 111 days two years ago and about 120 days last year.
Times have changed my friend and we can't turn back the clock.