I'm just wondering if its another trial of R/T phraseology.
Nope: there is no new phraseology. the guys and gals at the airports do not get that much feedback from us on which carriers call the wrong level.
We have to query every time it happens and although it is a pain, it is a combination of some poor SID plate layouts and (some)foreign pilots (not being xenophobic it's just a fact of life).
it would get into dangerous territory if the tower were to start introducing the step altitudes as 'hard stop' levels, as the SIDs are designed to keep A/C within controlled airspace by virtue of headings and altitudes until at least such time as the A/C reaches the fix at the end of the SID.