The only thing that should be forcing airlines to pay a decent wage is unwillingness of people to take the job. Young people wouldn’t take the job if they did not see the big money being paid some pilots.
It’s not just the airline managers causing young people to take the low wage. The unions and the government have a hand in it.
Perhaps the unions ought to start taking a little responsibility for educating the wannabes who are spending big dough to join their little exploitation racket. Make sure they know that if their the kind of person who cannot do the top jobs, they won’t be getting top pay just by sitting in the cockpit for 20 plus years.