Inflation, Currency Movements, Salary Increases etc. We can debate for hours.
Simple Fact: If you look at a comparable EK salary e.g. Joining F/O or 5 years with the company Capt, the salary has dropped dramatically when measured against almost anything.
Forget the numbers; take the salary and see what it bought in terms of Gold, Property, Oil, Grain, Labour etc. and the depreciation is huge.
EG A Starting EK FO in 1997 earned 12 Ounces of Gold. Today he earns 6.2 Ounces. Try it with oil, wheat, whatever you like and the ratios will be comparable. Same for an EK captain.
Little wonder the employees are cynical. Being told you are worth less every year hardly buys loyalty.
The "its not so bad" brigade make me laugh. Sure if they came from a worse circumstance then things are better. If anyone has been here for some time however then they naturally would feel unappreciated given the EK profits over the same periods have risen when measured against the same benchmarks.