Sexual Equality
Yesterday, I made the mistake of reading the weekly update from the CEO. (Is he even called the CEO? I don’t know maybe it’s something different now with TTW).
Then I doubled down on my original mistake to click on a link that took me to the “Male Ally” declaration page.
Third mistake was I actually read the male ally declaration
Fourth and final mistake was I actually must have given a sh*t because rather than ignoring what I read and deleting it, I actually gave it a bit of thought. And my blood boiled. How dare they?
Let me just say I don’t care what “label” of person I fly with. Male, female, gay, straight, black, white, brown, whatever. Number 1 item is if they can fly the aircraft. If we happen to get on and have some good conversation and a laugh then all the better. If there isn’t much to talk about then fine. But sex and colour and sexual orientation doesn’t come into it for me. Of course sometimes people don’t get on but that’s just human.
To not really care what “label” of person you fly with surely must be the goal of the whole sexual equality drive. But I think for most of us that’s how we already feel.
Being asked to sign this declaration feels like being found guilty of a crime that never has been, and never will be committed. What’s the difference between signing this, and signing a declaration that I will not take a shotgun into a bank and rob it? Or I will not do 160mph on the way to work? Why single out sexual discrimination? Where does the list of what I would not do end?
Let’s face it - we work for one of the most deceitful and untrustworthy airlines ever. I would never sign the “male ally” document for these people - but for argument’s sake let’s just say I did.
Then let’s say in a couple of year’s time a female first officer doesn’t like me because she took objection to me telling her that she entered the incorrect take off data or something. She is concerned about this going on her record so she says that I sexually harassed her. (this is just to make an argument - please don't say I'm a wank*r for reporting her - I never would).
I would be called into the office, and I would imagine my signed declaration that I signed way back in 2019 would be displayed before me and management would say that I had pledged that I would never sexually harass my colleagues bla lba bla. My dismissal would be immediate with very little investigation from those who fired me, and a newspaper report in the SCMP would follow, showing my previous employer in a glowing light in how they have zero tolerance for sexual discrimination.
I feel the pendulum has swung too far.
So I would like to ask both the DPA and the AOA to take the company to task on this document they sent through to us. What are they implying about the male pilots that work for them? Let’s make them be a TRUE equal opportunities employer before they demand their male employees to sign their document.
I can’t speak for CX, but in KA I think in their first 25 years of operation, they had employed a total of three or four female pilots. Then all of a sudden they started their cadet recruitment drive and the number of female pilots increased. Which is great. But they have now somehow twisted their misogynistic hierarchal past into now becoming an equal opportunity employer - probably because they realised how bad they actually were. And now they want all male pilots to sign a male ally declaration.
So I have some questions here for the unions to ask the company, and I would like you all to add to them if you feel this is a just cause.
1.When my children were born, I was not allowed any paternity leave, but if I was a female pilot then I would be given leave. Why is this? Does the company think that mothers are more important than fathers? Isn’t that sexually discrimination? Just because I was born a male you think I deserve less time bonding with my children than if I was a female?
2. I believe the maternity leave has recently been updated with increased leave. But still the days off for fathers is less than for mothers. Why is this? Nothing to do with sexual equality right?
3. Recently the company took a lot of time and energy to highlight how they are implementing procedures to increase the number of female pilots into the airline because they are much lower proportion than male pilots. This happened to coincide with international woman’s day. They also had two KA flights operated, with much fanfare, by an all female crew (flight + cabin crew).
We all know that male cabin crew are a much lower proportion than female cabin crew. It is probable that the ratio is close to an inverse proportion of the flight crew statistic. So why has there been no mention of the drive to increase the number of male cabin crew in the airline on international men’s day (if there actually is one)? Why has there been no mention of how proud the airline is of their male cabin crew colleagues? Why has there not been an all male crew (flight crew + cabin crew) on international men’s day (if there is one)? Why is the airline more proud of their female employees than their male employees? Isn't this sexual discrimination?
4.We all know that the vast majority of check in staff are female. Why is this? Is there some particular skill that makes females more skilful for this job than males? Can’t males do the job just as well? Has there been a drive to increase the number of male check-in staff? Have the female check in staff been asked to sign a “FEMALE ALLY” declaration to their male colleagues? Why have the male pilots been singled out in signing this form?
5. Most of the cleaners in the aircraft are female. Does the airline have a policy for their wholly owned subsidiaries for equal employment or just it just apply to male pilots? I
6. In your declaration statement that you asked us to sign, it says “If I am a position of authority then I will aim for recruitment of equal numbers of men and women”.
Surely this statement should read “equal proportion of men and women”.
For example, let’s imagine if two pilot positions exist, and one women and 10 men apply. Now let’s imagine the woman barely scraped through school, but all 10 men are rocket scientists, and also pass all other induction tests with flying colours.You would expect that in an equal environment, the two top men would get the job as their sex would not have anything to do with the outcome of the interview. But by applying the statement “If I am a position of authority then I will aim for recruitment of equal numbers of men and women”, then it would follow than the woman and one man would get the job. Surely this is sexual discrimination.
7. Why are all the management at CX nearly all middle aged white males who have been educated in very similar institutions? Have the senior management given any thought to equal sexual and gender employment opportunities in their own ranks which might lead to a broader and more well thought out strategy? How about looking in the mirror at themselves before taking us to task?
8. Is there an international man's day?
If you are a female pilot, please can you give support to this post.
I am a male captain. The sex of the pilot I fly with does not concern me. What more do you want?
I suggest this airline concentrates on encouraging woman and men to apply for the positions they would like within the airline and employs them on merit with no regard to their sex.
But first they should concentrate on actually running the airline.