Nick14: Again this is based on the experience of a friend who has told me a lot about how it is on BA MF.
With regard to other airlines, there aren't many who roster seven successive days, or (thinking of roster quality) shorthaul duties the day after an overnight longhaul trip with no proper crew rest area, or who roster you for blocks and blocks of standby when you need to work to earn enough money to live on. Staff travel is great, if you have enough money to live on and a bit more - perhaps if you are married to someone earning more than you, that works out better. Not everyone is in that situation. Training is good - but we all know that this doesn't determine what goes on on line, and some days are better than others.
With regard to youth unemployment, this is irrelevant - crew recruited for MF were currently employed as crew elsewhere. (This cartoon has a little relevance, perhaps ...
Dilbert comic strip for 05/22/1995 from the official Dilbert comic strips archive.) BA took on some of the most competent, motivated and enthusiastic crew in the UK, and these guys want it to work, the training really encourages them to believe in BA. The sense I get is that as they can bid for what they want, most issues will be put up with. But if the crew can't afford to live (which will be the case if the short term impact of low money during training becomes long term, due to insufficient work), then they will end up leaving.