HONG KONG: Don't ground us at 45, say attendants

HONG KONG (The Standard), April 15, 2008: Damon Pang A dozen flight attendants from four airlines staged a 30-minute sit-in protest at the airport yesterday demanding their airlines extend the retirement age from 45 to 65. Representatives from Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, British Airways and United Airlines said attendants at the first three airlines are facing age discrimination since the airlines' pilots and ground staff are allowed to work until the age of 65. United Airlines does not have an age limit for flight attendants. Chanting slogans and holding signs in the departure hall, the attendants demanded fairness with regard to retirement. Hong Kong Flight Attendants Association spokeswoman Becky Kwan Siu-wah, who is also the chairwoman of Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants' Union, said almost 10,000 flight attendants are affected by the retire-at- 45 policy. "It is unfair because, in Europe and the United States, there are flight attendants working until 84. There is also racial discrimination in Japan Airlines as its Japanese flight attendants can work until 65 yet its Hong Kong employees have an age limit of 35," she said. One of the protesters, Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants' Union secretary Vera Wu Yee-mei, said 45 was too young for a retirement age, given that the life expectancy for women in Hong Kong is 89. "What should we do with the second half of our lives? "Moreover, experience actually helps with our work as flight attendants as safety is more important than the public perception of flight attendants being pretty," she said. Confederation of Trade Unions lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan, who was at the protest, urged the government to legislate against age discrimination in the workplace. A Cathay Pacific spokeswoman said the airline has been actively engaging the union and members of the crew community to discuss subjects of common interest, including retirement age. "All staff were fully informed of the employment conditions, including the retirement age, when they accepted the company's employment," she said. The spokeswoman maintained the extension of retirement age is a complex issue which has a significant impact on promotion prospects, pay and benefits, and is a decision that requires careful consideration. A Dragonair spokesman said the retirement age for its cabin crew is broadly in line with that of its competitors. "It is not uncommon for companies to adopt different retirement ages for different staff groups and different countries in accordance with the job nature and environment," he said. A spokeswoman for the Equal Opportunities Commission said it is against discrimination on any grounds. Copyright 2005, The Standard Newspaper Publishing Ltd