Vortex,
Your statements are contradictory and naive in the extreme. EK has zero, I repeat ZERO commitment to their employees. Pilots are a cost unit, a number, an expense to be kept to the bare minimum. Nothing more. Which is their prerogative, but you are delusional to think otherwise. Yet you state that it is unprofessional for a pilot to have lack of commitment to their "firm". What is this, 1952?
You are a mercenary, nothing more. Selling your services for whatever price you can get - that supply and demand thing you mention. Do you think you earn "more than a BA pilot" because you deserve it or EK is feeling kindly towards you? Wake up! You're just an assembly line worker, who happens to live in a country that has no income tax (yet) and a endless pool of cheap labour nearby. Make a mistake, you will be replaced in an instant and no one will shed one tear or give a single thought about your "commitment" or "professionalism". Nothing personal. Just business.
Yours is just another variation of the same old tired arguments. You state that EK "is better than pretty much every where else on the planet for me and my ilk", so, that means it must be good. Much like a small child, who assumes the world revolves around them, in isolation. Good for you, that it's a better deal than whatever crap country or job you left. Let that villa and beach club help you believe you're living the good life now, baby - that's fine. But to suggest that the longer bond is due to pilots lack of commitment to an entity that cares not one whit about them, is ludicrous. Things like commitment and respect are a two-way street. And earned, not demanded.
There was already a pretty stiff bond in place, so no, there were not people taking type ratings and leaving. EK's increasing the bond smacks of desperation more than anything, to try and force increased retention. The conclusion isn't too hard to draw. Going back to those poor BA pilots, what are the terms of their training bonds again?
Better pray you never have an incident on or off the job that forces you to look outside your bubble. Or heaven forbid, find that you change your outlook at some point in your many bonded years. You might be glad the bond isn't your desired ten years or whatever. Geezuz.