News online
Women cabin crew in Japan win payout after court ruling
30 March 2007
Four female cabin crew, working for a Japanese airline, have won a significant payout to make up for lost earnings after they were forced to take unpaid leave to meet their childcare responsibilities.
A Tokyo district court ruled on 26 March that Japan Airlines International should pay a combined 14.9 million yen (US$128,000) to four women cabin crew, Mariko Nakai, Yoshimi Muranaka, Sumiko Yasui and Naomi Nozaki. They were represented by the ITF-affiliated Japan Airlines Cabin Crew Union and supported by airline colleagues as well as by the Japan Federation of Aviation Workers’ Unions.
The judge, Akihiko Tsuchida, said that the state’s top airline had failed to make employment and childcare responsibilities compatible through its treatment of working mothers.
Originally filed in June 2004, the case against the airline maintained that cabin crew who asked to be exempted from night flights were only given one or two duties a month. This followed a rule change by the airline in 2003, which left workers who chose to be exempted from night duty with more unpaid leave and therefore a cut in salary. According to the union, incomes for some female cabin crew with children have decreased by one-third to one-twentieth of their original salary since the rule was introduced.
The airline, which handles both domestic and overseas flights, indicated it would appeal the ruling.
Ingo Marowsky, ITF Civil Aviation Section Secretary commented: “The judge has recognised that this was clearly a case of discrimination. Hopefully the victory will set a precedent for civil aviation in Japan and have a positive influence in other countries throughout the region.”
The union has been lobbying the United Nations (UN) Commission of Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland, on behalf of the women and raised the issue with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, during a visit to Japan in November 2004.
Back to current news online stories
