PAL’s anti-women policy hit

A unit of the Office of the President has denounced the Philippine Airlines’ alleged discriminatory policies against female flight attendants.

“PAL’s retirement schemes are blatant forms of discrimination,” the Philippine Commission on Women said. It said it supported the decision of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines not to sign any collective bargaining agreement with PAL management unless the issue on age and gender discrimination is resolved. In the case of the flag carrier, the mandatory retirement age for female attendants is 40, from 55 in the old collective bargaining agreement.

The unit, which is mandated to implement the Magna Carta of Women, said gender, age and looks should be the least factors to consider in staff recruitment, training and promotion. Instead, PCW said work performance should be the basis for providing benefits to employees.

PCW cited PAL’s grooming standards for female flight attendants, labor rules on maternity leave and retirement age as evidence of “sexism and gender discrimination” upheld in the flag carrier’s labor schemes. Jeremiah de Guzman, Manila Standard Today