Only time things will change is when people start leaving and the service is compromised. Has happened before and will happen again, just ask the old timers
This is absolutely true. The sad thing is- it doesn't have to be like this. So why is it?
Every 5 years or so, things deteriorate to the point that loads of people leave. Serco suddenly 'finds' a bunch of money and jacks up the package. A whole lot more people arrive. Slowly, things deteriorate. Rinse, repeat.
The problem with this scenario is that you are talking about people's lives. People have to move countries, not just retrain in a new job. It's a massive impost (to either come to the ME or leave it).
Instead of steady increases that keep up with cost of living and events in the world (currency movements, state of the job market, etc.), they seem intent on repeating this scrimp, scrimp, scrimp, piss everybody off, many leave, jack the package up and re-hire scenario over and over, with the ensuing turbulence to controllers (and their families) lives.
It makes you scratch your head. Is it lack of corporate memory, incompetence, or design?