Whatever happened to embarking on a flying career for the sole reason it is your passion? Nothing else mattered apart from the smell of avgas and the indescribable high of peeling through a crisp winters morning just as the sun rises?
I agree with that sentiment, but respectfully suggest that it isn't at issue. Sadly HR/IR know that is what motivates most pilots. Hospital administration also are aware that the desire to help is part of a nurse's make up. It is seen as a lever point not a strategic asset.
There is an argument in economic circles around labour importing at times of skill shortage to keep pressure on real wage rises. It is interesting though as globalised supply is a two way street for pilots perhaps this argument is of less relevance. I would contend that the lockout of staff, even those not involved with the action at Qantas was designed to draw concession from staff. It may have worked in the short term, but the model of relationship is broken. It is terminal at Ryanair too and have a read about Cathay.
Real wage declines, degradation of terms and conditions, moral hazard (as risks are passed to pilots) where income is lost when flights are cancelled, to fly a company aircraft you pay for the endorsement and if unlucky enough to work for Ryanair you are a 'contractor' with responsibility for superannuation and even car parking. Over time people made rational decisions and assessed the long term viability of such a pursuit. For those already down the rabbit hole perhaps there was no other option. Qantas pilots talk of the lost career path as JQ grew but they stagnated. Imagine living in Sydney on Rex wages or Qlink wages as an FO?
Unfortunately as Dixon and Joyce said, job security is a thing of the past, at least for employees not in their cult. Passion as stated won't actually pay the bills, so slowly people chose other things. Now demographic shortages are biting industry wide (slowly) accelerating the decline.
In setting up an adversarial IR posture, emulating Ryanair, driving 'lower unit cost' the scene was set for the downward pressure they wanted on that unit cost of labour. Ironically the pursuit of which sowed the seeds of the shortage which is (in part) increasingly evident today.