It's very simple. There is no public support for pilots because the media keep printing articles based on nostalgic fantasy about what their terms and conditions are, so any industrial action would make pilots out as the bad guys. Meanwhile, airlines are run by petulant accountants with much jealousy of the image that pilots have and so make it an objective to bring them down a peg or two. Add the petty competitive nature of many pilots that prevents cohesion (my company/jet is better than yours, etc) and a weak main union that is only interested in your subscription but not in doing anything useful with it, and you have your recipe for a rapid decline.