Many thanks for your replies, it is interesting to get your perspectives.
I do think however we share a common purpose. I am sure you do not want to see the terms and conditions in your industry further eroded by an influx in supply of pilots willing to work for free or a very low salary. You may not think that this affects your position at British Airways, however i am convinced it does.
Therefore when potential wanabees like me step back and do not accept to be burdened with 100k of debt to be paid a salary of 21k a year it also benefits you. The end result would force airlines to at the very least pay for training and preferably earn a living wage salary during it. If trainee doctors, atc, lawyers and train drivers can benefit from this, then I dont see why pilots can't too.
The end result would be a more capable pilot workforce who were selected on ability alone, not those who can afford to live without a salary for 18 month. I appreciate British Airways is not as far along the exploitation scale as other carriers, but I did still view it as exploitation.
Why do you think it is that British Airways is willing to pay its Engineering and IT Graduate Trainees 24 to 27k a year during training and not its pilots ?
With respect to the poster with 35 years experience, the decision i arrived at was the same one you would hope your children to make. I have just chosen to articulate my reasons for the benefit of others.