05 Aug 2005
Discrimination of Argentinian cabin crew member

Show solidarity for the Argentinian cabin crewmember from the ITF’s affiliate Asociation Argentina de Aeronavegantes (AAA) who lost custody of her four year old daughter  because a judge believed her job with the airline made her not fit to be a mother.

Dear Colleagues

I am writing to you about the very serious of gender discrimination suffered by Patricia Bengtsson, an Argentinian cabin crewmember from the ITF’s affiliate Asociation Argentina de Aeronavegantes (AAA).

This week, Patricia lost custody of her four year old daughter - because a judge believed her job with the airline made her not fit to be a mother. Instead, the father was made the child’s carer.

The AAA union has called the finding “A terrible attack against working women the world over - on the one hand, women suffer from work over-exploitation and on the other, they risk getting punished by losing their children if they work too many hours”.

The ITF fully supports this case and has sent protest letters (see below) to the Argentinian court and justice ministry. AAA has also asked for the solidarity of transport workers worldwide to support this case, so we would ask you to please send letters to:

Departamento Judicial Quilmes (1878)
No. 1 y 2 Irigoyen 109
Fax: +54 11 4224 0133

Ministerio de Justicia
Fax: +54 11 4328 3015

Derechos Humanos de la Nación Argentina
Fax:  +54 11 4312 6597/98


Thank you for your cooperation

Yours in solidarity

Sarah Finke            Ingo Marowsky
Women's Officer        Secretary, Civil Aviation Section 

Letters to the Argentinian court and justice ministry:

Estimados Senores/as
 
Les estamos escribiendo sobre el caso muy serio de discriminación de género sufrido por Patricia Bengtsson, tripulante de cabina argentina, afiliada a la Asociación Argentina de Aeronavegantes (AAA), sindicato miembro de ITF, la Federacion Internacional de Trabajadores del Transporte.
 
Según la información que hemos recibido esta semana, Patricia perdió la tenencia de su hija de cuatro años  – porque una jueza consideró que su trabajo con la línea aérea era incompatible con sus responsibilidades maternas. 
 
La ITF, que representa a cinco millones de trabajadores del transporte por todo el mundo, apoya completamente al sindicato AAA en su condenación de este caso y urgemos una investigación inmediata antes de esta situación discriminatoria e injusta. 
 
A la espera de sus comentarios, se despiden cordialmente
 
 
 
Sarah Finke 
Responsible de la Mujer, ITF
 
 
Ingo Marowsky
Secretario de la Sección de Aviación Civil de la ITF