Company I worked for, long time ago, responded to the summer, outstation, traffic increase by offering pilots a six month, outstation base. We were given a thousand pounds a month,( loads of dosh in those days) on top of salary & told to go away & enjoy the summer. The line to HQ caused a few motorway snarl-ups. The deal worked so well that it was repeated the next year and Manchester added to Cardiff with the same offer.
On topic, I agree that we pilots have led to the dismal situation, so eloquently portrayed by "Biggus" in his delightful posts. Way back then, we pilots started fighting over the Bases. Same old faces pitched up ready for action. Same old faced objected to unfairness but failed to volunteer. Management contributed to the mess by selecting some favourites over others.It got really messy when a complete twerp of a Manager decided to break up the offer to bits and pieces. A month here, three months there but the full six months to his favourites. Oh dear ! Pilots, by not collectively objecting,allowed management to get away with it, for a while. However, the the whole plan finally died and we all wound up operating out of outstations, transported, hotac'd at huge cost to the company, again. And still, we allow them to "manage" our lives like this !