What I find depressing about this debate is not the bile exhibited amongst fellow pilots (which I can live with), but that it's really apparent many in the industry have lowered their expectations so much.
As has been noted already, a 100 years of social progress is being undone. Our forefathers, through organisations like BALPA, have campaigned over many years to improve our lot and many seem to be content to see all this go and in it's place working piecemeal for a shekel or two.
When Ryanair's lack of 'extras' is remarked on, their pilots retort only seems to mention uniform and IDs and the like. These aren't extras I'd be concerned about, think about PHI for when you go sick and employer pension contributions for when you're old. My lot provide PHI, which pays out 75% of pre-disablement salary up to retirement age, after that you can rely on a pretty descent pension. For info, a yr 2 F/O can expect the company to tip in £7500 per annum into his pot and this amount will increase in line salary increments and command etc.
Please take what bigots like D O Guerrero say about BALPA with a pinch of salt (suspect some sort of agenda is behind it and I doubt it's altogether wholesome), it's not the union that is causing job loses, it's to a degree inept management to blame, but moreover a factor of being a mature business. Things are fine and dandy in Ryanair whilst it's expanding and it may seem infallible now (Air Europe anyone?), but sooner or later this will stop. It will then be a mature business. When the next downturn happens, which it will...(!), I predict Ryanair will drop who it likes like a hot stone. From 1st hand experience over the years, BALPA, through member elected Company Councils, put a lot of effort into cajoling managements into things like voluntary severance and stand down. Don't expect such niceties with Ryanair.
Ryanair has provided very rapid advancement for many and provided a home for those who until now have been travellers around the industry. This is very good, however it's come at a price. Many here don't seem to aspire to more than a healthy pay check and are oblivious to the sense of professional dignity that inherited traditions within longer established carriers provide. When I see a Ryanair 737 park on the apron, I'm very sorry to say this, but the dark satanic mills of the Victorian era.
This fixed pattern roster thing. Now I can see the advantages in terms of planning life outside work, but we only have 900 per annum and with the pretty intense flying which the lo-cost airlines do, being available to work all of those days all year round will grind you down over the years, further more, with Ryanair's terms & conditions, when the 900 hr limit is breached, your pay will either reduce dramatically or stop all together.
As to what to do about this mess, well, shoot me down if you want, and I'm sure many will, but you need to get a union in there. It won't be able to perform miracles, but over time it will engender a sense of solitary amongst the workforce and start to improve your lot. As noted there is a lot to improve!