I work in the Film and TV industry, which is often inconsistent with available shifts, and things get sprung last minute. However, we do have some year-round consistent roles, mostly filled by the same 7 or 8 people (barring illness or holiday). These positions are inconsistent as hell too, though. The schedule is written up a month in advance, but is changed late every Sunday, meaning incredibly short-notice shifts in the static roles are normalised. Everyone hates it, but no one pushes back, and when I do I get no backup.
And the pay. Fuck me, the pay. Until very recently, around 2/3 of the staff were paid below minimum wage using self-employment and subcontracting loopholes (in the UK, there is no minimum wage for self-employed people). I pushed for a rise, with little support, up to minimum wage when we had a mass exodus of long-term staff, and it's only the lack of experienced guys left that kept me in the job, they literally couldn't afford to sack me. However, the staff were not told their wage was increasing; I found out that two people were still receiving the lower wage three months after the rest of us had got our payrise, and they just never questioned it.
I've raised the idea of a union, but the other guys don't want to rock the boat. I'm sick of having to risk my own livelihood to try and make things better for everyone, and it's so frustrating. Our national union is a bunch of pissants who couldn't even get us Working Time Directives, too.
Anyway, rant over. I hate this job and I hate this country, fuck terf island.