We do it to ourselves.

I was listening to the radio earlier this week. They were talking about the rise in lawsuits for overtime for the perpetually on call. I don't agree with a lawsuit unless your job was at risk if you refused to work 24/7 but things need to be done. One guy was the only dispatcher for a trucking company, as a result if any of the drivers had any issues at any time he was the one who got the call and had to deal with it. As stated above he should have said something at the time, simply refused or asked for compensation but if he felt that he would be fired I can understand the lawsuit.

I am perfectly willing to take a call here and there uncompensated as in my case it is to help a co-worker/friend and if needed I expect help too. But constant calls/e-mails after hours on holiday really do add up. A friend was given a cell phone to be "On Call" for the week end, as this was not part of his work contract he took it but left it off, after a few more times he was asked why he left it off. I don't know what was said but it was pretty much "I will not work without being paid." I applaud him for this.
It's not just unpaid overtime we as a society are proud to be free yet we seem happy to give up that right, unpaid overtime, no dating policies at work, home owners associations, doctors working more that 24 hours straight, not yelling at our government for being stupid.
We work so we can live but sometimes it seems like we live so we can work.