I agree with almost all comments regarding getting to a level of competence is the key to an easy life in most jobs and was wrong to say flying an aircraft is a semi-skilled labour job.
However, the thread is mainly about how poor a package NLH are offering widebody crews - and yet they don't seem to have a problem filling the seats with some very capable and experienced guys so why on earth would they pay more if they don't have to?
Supply and demand again kicks in if Rex is right and for £40-£50k no one will do the job. Salaries would then start to rise again as required to attract people to do the job.
Perhaps the reason for my over reaction calling the job semi skilled labour is down to two things: 1: former colleagues in the business world and former students I studied with earning £100k + as consultants / doctors / lawyers / accountants work ludicrous hours (often 100+ hours a week at anti-social times) have studied WAY harder in their professions than I ever did for my flying job and in my view work much harder than most of us as pilots. 2: I get fed up being told by colleagues in the flightdeck we should all earn more while they sit there drinking coffee, playing games on their ipad and later settling down for a 20 min snooze at FL380. I love doing those things too and I hope I can continue earning six figure sums doing but I don't expect that to continue for several more decades. Friends on long haul at BA are often bidding for their next month's work based on how good the golf / wine / shopping / beaches / nightstops etc are at their destintations while being paid £100k+ for the inconvenience. Good on them! I'm delighted but is it sustainable long term?
As for being in charge of a $200m highly complex aircraft with several hundred lives in our hands - yes, this is a large responsibility but there are large numbers of us out there able to handle that responsibility, especially now that these modern aircraft take much of the 'work' away from us in both normal and non-normal situations. Until airlines cannot get their hands on enough pilots, I'm afraid salaries and conditions will drop. Simple economics. It's a shame as the party was good while it lasted.