Many many years ago N.Kinnock, yes him of UK prime minister fame, and who then became EU transport commissioner, voiced his support for improvements in aviation working conditions. Not a lot happened to improve matters; indeed much worsened. Was he held to account for his failing? No! No surprise there, then. On Prune, again many years ago, a debate was underway including a journalist and letters to MP's. It seemed at last that something might happen. Nope: naught once again was the result and things have declined further.
Now, I read, that the response from AEA (i.e. the managers/owners of EU airlines) is that EASA rules are better because they will apply to all operators in EU and give a level playing field. Oh! So that's alright then: it doesn't matter if the rules are rubbish, as long as everyone has to abide by them. Amazing that the financial leaders of the industry applaud the idea of more productivity for less reward from the workers. "They would say that, wouldn't they." For heavens sake, just think where we would be without FTL's. They stopped craziness in working hours, just. Yet now their correcting influence is being eroded rapidly back towards a previous life. technology is no compensation for eroding the fitness of the human in charge. e.g. SFO B777 and others.
I have never been so angry as when I was told by management that the roster schedule was proven to be fine & generous and any problems was a fault in the pilot's sleep/rest management strategy.
There is more to a family life than having an aluminium tube strapped to your back-side for half a day or night, even longer, and living away from home & family for half your life. The stresses of both are not what a 21st century professional career should be about. Making it worse is pure greed from the employers. For EASA to have the word 'safety' in its title is an insult to us all. I have watched the behaviour and worked under the FTL's of various XAA's in various EU countries over 30 years and wonder just who pulls their strings. I am convinced that the airline management have more influence than the pilots, cabin crew and engineers. I was fed up with having an airline audit from XAA, where FTL abuse was rife, loop holes exploited, but being harangued for not signing everything with dotted i's & crossed t's. Good heavens they could not see the woods for the trees, and seemingly didn't want to because then they would have to do something as the policemen they are supposed to be. And they didn't have a solution and would bite the hand that feeds them.
Now EASA seems to be continuing that behaviour. Can the pilot corps allow that abuse of power to continue? Absolutely not. MP's in all countries should be subjected to a constant, continuous, professional, well reasoned campaign to make them aware of what is happening. Greed must not be allowed to drag our public service down the same drain that the bankers took the general economy. Greed and bad management can have such disastrous effects. In some cases more deadly that others.