Responsibility (moral accountability)
Sprinkles, any pilot who agrees to these type of pay to fly, training with no salary whether they be inexperienced or not is partly responsible(having the moral decisions and therefore accountable) for the demise of the t and c,s of professional pilots. I specifically mention low houred pilots because that group account for the vast majority if not all of the individuals that agree to same. It is obviously unpalatable , but it is true. I am not trying" to use cadets as a scapegoat" but some blame logically must apportioned to them. I understand and vehemently object to the fact some Airlines and Training organisations put a lot of pilots in an almost impossible position, but it is not all down to them as without the foolishness of pilots concerned the situation could not happen.
You ask a number of questions . 30-40 years ago I would think supply and demand was much the same as now, but employers were more honourable and reputable. The main course of the decline started after 911 when a certain loco CEO saw an opportunity to save costs and I believe settle personal scores and affluent young people saw a chance to que jump as it were and so the vicious circle continued. God knows where it will end!
What would i do with "£100k debt and the choice of forking for a type rating or tescos"? I could not/would not get £100k of unsecured debt for a job and certainly my parents/relatives could not provide that sum of money, neither would I ask.