This started with people who thought they could jump the queue and go straight onto a type for which they were not yet ready by buying a rating. The operators saw this as a gift and took full advantage of it. We have no one to blame but ourselves and we're the only ones who can fix it by refusing to play that game. Unfortunately for us and fortunately for the operators, they know pilots are their own worst enemies and the status quo will be maintained. Those who can afford a rating will be favoured over more qualified candidates. Meanwhile the standards continue to be eroded because of this.
This also affords you little or no protection as you're no more safe than a freelance pilot who can be ditched at any time. A bond protects both parties due to the financial implications of leaving an employer, or said employer getting rid of crews when things slow down a little.
Add to that the problem we're experiencing of crew who have jumped from light twin (with little more time than it took to gain a CPL) to a more complex type and become a starboard lookout without actually gaining any command or decision making skills. We then end up with people in command positions who lack the necessary background. This is one of the reasons some of the operators are now shying away from those who choose the short cut route. A few years ago a young lady was asked at an interview why she had no real twin piston time. Her reply to a very senior captain? "I don't need it as I went straight on to B200s." She didn't get the job.
Solutions? Unless people wake up and stop flooding the market with unemployable type rated low time pilots this will continue. Over supply and little demand make them worth not much more than the guy who cleans the bogs. Even giving the operators the idea you're willing to pay them for a type rating is akin to shooting yourself in the foot. We've handed it to them on a plate in the past and now they've come to expect it. It's not going to be fixed unless pilots stand together and that's the hardest part of all. This whole thing started with a few people willing to shaft their mates in this manner and people like that are still around.