Few cadets if any join FR with their eyes closed, its better than P2F and the training is excellent, if you start with the mind set that you can change things from within, then your in the wrong job, if however your mindset is 'get in' get hours' get out then you'll probably enjoy it, the fact that it needn't be that way is irrelevant.
Unless there is a change in the law, then there never will be a union in FR, the whole contractor rational is at the heart of that simple fact, it avoids unions.
A union would push up FR costs, reduce its flexibility and risk strike action, in my view MOL would shut it down before backing down to a union.
He will provide the T&C's that deliver the balance they need between pilot attrition & pilot retention and a rate of attrition is required by the business plan, training is a profit centre, not a cost like most airlines.
The only time things will improve is if they cannot get enough pilots to fly the schedule, hence the over supply in training, having trained pilots "off" their books but available & willing is an insurance policy, its like paying for a whore when you need one, rather than entering a relationship with all the costs,commitments and compromises that go with it.
Some call it exploitation,other's see it as supply & demand, but both parties are willing.
Last edited by Facelookbovvered; 9th Jun 2013 at 19:54.