Sooms,
Unfortunately, I think this problem is something that we are all facing at the moment. I am in a similar position to yourself, namely 10-12 hr days whilst in the UK are not uncommon. Having totalled up what I did last week, it seems I had a quiet week only putting in around 48 hrs - although that was pretty rare.
Like you, I would not dream of doing the whole union-hours thing. I have a job to do and I will work as long as it takes to get it done. But you know that something has gone spectacularly wrong when you find that you do less work and find it generally less stressful being away on ops than being at home. That is a sentiment that was echoed by many of the engineers here to the new Staish when he arrived - apparently he was somewhat shocked that things had been allowed to get to the current state of affairs.
Unfortunately, this all boils down to having an ego-maniac for PM and a chancellor so tight that if you stuck a lump of coal up his arse, in 2 weeks you would have a diamond.
Sorry mate, it aint going to get any better any time soon. Unfortunately I haven't got the foggiest what it will take to change it as I think it has become too engrained in our culture. And as long as there are those thrusting types running the place, we will all have to suffer for their ambition. Anyway, don't know what you're complaining about - having a life is over rated. Or so I've been told
