Of course, if airline A does it, but B does not, A is at a commercial disadvantage...
IMHO that's where the finger ought to be put. As long as the golden rule (he who has the gold makes the rules) goes largely unchallenged, so will perversions like paying to work (not only in aviation:
Desperate Youth Pay For Internships). Funny how the argument seems to focus on whether young p2f cadets or seasoned pilots are to blame, especially as neither of these groups benefits from these development or can do a lot about it.