Most companies like highly trained professionals. If you are going to court do you want a very senior and highly experienced lawyer or somebody just out of law school?
Either your skills have value or they don't it has nothing to do with what the company would like to do (which is simply to earn money for the share holders). This is why compensation for corporate flying and good corporations pays very well. Those organizations value the skills of the pilots flying and compensate accordingly.
How is an airline supposed to hire and retain only the best pilots? Pilots at airlines are allowed to keep their job as long as they due the bare minimum. Would you advocate better pilots making more than average pilots and how would you implement such a system?
Jack Welch (prior CEO of GE) would fire the bottom 10% of managers every year. I know most pilots would not be happy if the airline fired the bottom 10% of pilots every year based on metrics such as fuel burn, on-time departures, sick calls, productivity etc.
The employement system of airlines has resulted in pilots being looked at as a commodity by management. One pilot is as good as any other pilot as long as they can fill the seat. Not saying this is good or bad....just what it is.