Virgin discriminated on age
10oct05
THE Queensland Anti-Discrimination Tribunal has found airline Virgin Blue discriminated against eight flight attendant job applicants on the basis of age.
The former Ansett attendants, aged between 35 and 55, launched an action in May claiming that they did not pass the first round of Virgin Blue's assessment because they were not young or attractive enough.
Tribunal member Douglas Savage today told the Brisbane Magistrates Court he agreed with the women, finding the Virgin Blue assessors were "unconsciously discriminating on the basis of age" against the applicants.
Mr Savage said in his judgment that this accounted for the fact that no cabin crew over the age of 36 had been hired during Virgin Blue's recruitment drive between September 2001 and September 2002.
Outside court, one of the women, Nicole Hopper, said she was overjoyed by the win and it showed "people over the age of 35 are not finished".
Mr Savage adjourned the hearing for a date to be fixed to decide what financial compensation the women should receive for economic loss.
All eight women with the exception of Alma Frank have lodged claims for monetary compensation.
Ms Frank was awarded $5000 today by Mr Savage on her claim of having suffered "hurt, humiliation and the like".
Was that Grass' Missus? I didn't think she was that old!
