If you compare the pay to what you have to do in order to get it, then a Pax F/O is actually on a better deal. An average roster on a base results in about 18 days off, in July 20. Add 4 man ops , no Mumbai and daylight/evening body clock flights, which I think makes an enormous difference.
Plus many guys accepted a less desirable base just to get the position and are now stuck with a commute and £ pay...
To all those freighter CNs who actually do enjoy it, no hard feelings, it was open to everybody, fair enough.