I actually worked on the St Genis side and ate at resto 3 a lot...I agree it's bad, but it's still much, much better than the DESY canteen. There are no words...when I lived in Hamburg, I used to eat PausenBrot from the vending machines rather than visit the canteen. And CERN's resto 2 in the summer is lovely, I think! I always put on weight at CERN.
CERN staff members may not be encouraged to do extra hours, but all students and post-docs (and a lot of faculty!) that I know must work 60+ hours a week. (Do you know anyone in physics that works 35-40 hours a week?) Partly because they like the job and partly because the competition is so fierce. At DESY, we worked 10am-10pm most days and people were on their computers at home. You're right that your compensation does not depend upon hours worked, but a lot of the time your reputation and the number of publications do - without reputation and publications, you don't get your next grant.
CERN staff members may not be encouraged to do extra hours, but all students and post-docs (and a lot of faculty!) that I know must work 60+ hours a week. (Do you know anyone in physics that works 35-40 hours a week?) Partly because they like the job and partly because the competition is so fierce. At DESY, we worked 10am-10pm most days and people were on their computers at home. You're right that your compensation does not depend upon hours worked, but a lot of the time your reputation and the number of publications do - without reputation and publications, you don't get your next grant.