Always been a very anti pilot company
I joined PX in the good old days of DC3's, F27 and B707 aircraft and did some 24 years with them finishing up as Fleet Caotain C & T but ........ even back then the management were embittered towards pilots! We had a strong Union but had to fight and kick every inch of the way.
With a massively beneficial exchange rate up to 1.6 AUD per Kina we were on a good wicket plus a hundred bucks a night overnight allowance.
The proposed B salaries will see another eflux of pilots and then the ever present risk of pushing national pilots into positions they are neither qualified nor experienced enough to fill! (I) had to contend with this every day but we had some top notch local pilots who were a credit to the country ............ the push for early promotion was always there, very common in most countries similar to PNG.
I really do worry that this 43 year old death free airline will consequently have a significant lowering of standards as experienced pilots pull the pin and look for greener pastures!