han 0 Report post Posted January 6, 2008 NST Online » Local News 2008/01/06 Protect 'rights of stewardesses' By : Sean Augustin KUALA TERENGGANU: The country's laws are insufficient to protect air stewardesses from discrimination. Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Management and Economics faculty lecturer Junaidah Abd Karim had claimed that stewardesses were discriminated against in existing employment policies. This, she said, was contrary to provisions under the Federal Constitution and the United Nations' Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which Malaysia signed in 1995. Junaidah said this in her presentation entitled "An Overview of the Gender Discrimination Practices On Female Cabin Crew in Malaysia" at the 4th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability, here. The paper was co-written by UMT business law lecturer Dr Wan Izatul Asma Wan Talaat. Junaidah said the discrimination against stewardesses included a lower retirement age and gratuity, dismissal due to pregnancy, compulsory leave without pay due to pregnancy and termination of employment after giving birth to a fourth child. Citing a local airline as an example, she said women employees were paid RM16,000 when they retired at the age of 40 or 45, while men were paid RM69,400 upon retirement at the age of 55. The average retirement age for other international airlines is 60. Women, Junaidah said, were forced to retire earlier due to, among others, the "Young and Pretty" policy practised by the company. "Maybe such policies are implemented to maintain certain standards but I don't think physical appearance is that important. "CEDAW has no legal sanction. But signatories should abide by it. And applying such principles are crucial, especially when it comes to cases of pregnancy and dismissal. "I think legislators should introduce a new piece of legislation, based on Britain's Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and Pregnancy Discrimination Act 1978, to protect women. "Even unions here are not strong enough to protect the rights of women, which results in the collective agreement at times casting aside provisions under the law which is supposed to protect them." The conference, organised by UMT, ends tomorrow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
