Yes conditions and even pay did drop for awhile but now with the current pilot shortage the pilots are getting back what they lost but at a slower pace than we would like.
I haven't heard the same complaints from pilots at the legacy airlines. They have complaints but those complaints are so different from we as Emirates pilots have. They complain when they work 12 days a month or don't get an extra 7 days off after their vacation. We think it is a good month when we are "only" rostered 90 hours a month.
It does make many a sane man wonder why EK is doing what they are doing to us. Turning the screws on us when most pilots can and want to leave to better opportunities.
Maybe with this WSJ article things will change. The article didn't even real touch on the real issues effecting Emirates pilots, rostering patterns and hours worked. I don't think things will change unless something serious happens. The media couldn't be bothered and the public just doesn't care.