What a depressing thought. Supply and demand will shape salaries? Hard to argue with that but responsibility and accountability or cost of an accident will also influence it. In my airline we are short, wages are good and they are struggling to find enough "suitable" candidates (whatever they mean by that). The answer seems for us is work harder for the same salary. Good will and motivation go a long way.
Semi skilled? I don't agree with that. I have seen a number of very clever cadets from various backgrounds recently who are way outside of their depth. I think we can sometimes underestimate our skills. Seeing someone who is inexperienced highlights that. Up until then I may have agreed. You can't just throw any human into an aeroplane and expect a safe, efficient operation.
Was it not Stellios that said "if you think safety is expensive then you should see an accident". Safety starts as a culture and ultimately is our responsibility"