I can tell you my story:
2002 Alitalia cadet, waiting to be hired as a pilot till 2005, so worked for Alitalia as a cabin crew for 7 seasons, means 7 fixed term contract for a total of 24 non consecutive months, always 4+6 (with 2 weeks interruption in between) every year cause the law said i could be considered full time if i worked more than 10 months. I then left the cabin work to go to another airline to pick up my flight deck seat, but some of my collegues less lucky are still there and are at the 20th season, some at the 25th season, being aged 35 and having no pension, no rights, no leave. Nothing.
This is the west.