No housing or schooling allowances, no paid flights home from what I saw,
That's not correct, at least in terms of Dubai. Housing allowance is paid either in your monthly salary (dans) or as a separate annual payment (Serco). Both employers pay schooling allowance however there are differences. Dans pay business class home once a year, Serco pay economy.
As has already been alluded to though, things are becoming unsettled as a result of recent decisions on working hours. A time to sit back and watch how this plays out.