And how many scheduling officers and pilot managers actually know what it is like to do 5 earlies these days?
Over 30 years ago, when things were sometimes bad, before the got worse, I challenged rosterers & managers to work my summer roster in their offices. They would still have their comfy chairs, radios, internet, coffee machines. phones, space, social environment, lunch canteen with out side tables, sea level clean atmosphere and proper toilets, time to take a walk/bike ride and get some fresh air every couple of hours or lunchtime.
There were no takers. No attempt at understanding the question. No recognition there was a problem. It was quite simply a case of whinging pilots who were paid a handsome salary, did little work, got lots of time off and should be grateful that all the other workers busted their guts so the boys could play with their toys.
Then the hard-nosed bean counters took over, the FTL's stretched, the XAA's sided against the pilots and solid medical science, things got worse and money won. The pilots capitulated and here we are. It's a numbers game. Rosters are productivity generators. The CFO demands max value. The rostering dept has to deliver that within legal limits. The human factor might be the weakest link in the accident chain, but they are there to be pushed, and in a vocation it is easy to do.
Perhaps the tide is just starting to turn, slowly.
But I would still challenge, very publicly, various XAA chiefs to work an EASA block roster in their office. I would also challenge a chief medical officer to fly an EASA block roster in the cockpit. After that let's see what their opinions are, and their families.