Like it or not, software development is not regulated by local laws. The reason is that it is a global market; we work long hours because it's the nature of the work that it takes a lot of time to complete a project, and there are always people somewhere willing to work those hours. Also, the barrier to entry is somewhat low compared to other high-paying jobs, and determining the actual skill level of a coder is difficult. This is in contrast to a chef, for example: the product is produced in a relatively short duration, is deliverable only within close proximity, and the skill of the chef can be determined fairly easily even by people with no training. In my opinion, the irony is that unions still exist to protect professionals like teachers, plumbers or electricians who cannot be outsourced, and yet would be ineffective for industries that are globalized like software development is.