‘Old’ Singapore Girls want to keep flying high

Press, 26 July 1986, Page 11

‘Old’ Singapore Girls want to keep flying high

NZPA Reuter Singapore

The Singapore Girl, her charms immortalised in countless soft-focus advertisements around the world, is dropping her youthful smile to defy assertions that she is too old for the job. A group of Singapore Airlines stewardesses has promised to challenge a rule that they must retire at 35, saying it amounts to “sexploitation”. The recently retired hostesses, who received goodbye letters on their thirty-fifth birthdays, are determined to help their younger colleagues avoid the same fate. More than 1000 airline employees have backed their fight by signing a protest letter saying the age limit is sexist and against the government’s policy of encouraging women to join the work force.

Under a policy instituted when State-run S.I.A. was formed in 1972, chief stewardesses must stop flying at 35 although their male colleagues can keep working until they

reach 55.

5.1. A., one of the world’s most successful carriers, employs about 1400 stewardesses, most in their twenties. It also boasts the world’s youngest aircraft fleet — its 30 planes have an average age of just under three years. “S.l.A.’s young fleet company philosophy is good enough where machines are concerned. But when it comes to human beings, especially the much publicised and shall we say ‘sexplolted’ Singapore Girl, we must call it to a halt, and demand fair play," said the latest issue of the S.I.A. union magazine. Citing other airlines, the magazine of the 7000member union said, “S.I.A. has been sticking out as a sore thumb with this blatant discrimination of imposing a 35-year age limit and also hiring on fixed-term contracts.”

S.I.A. employs its stewardesses on five-year contracts, which can be renewed for another two five-year terms. They must retire after the third five-year term or on

reaching 35, whichever is earlier.

When grounded, they are given a sSingls,ooo ($12,813) gratuity and may be offered an office job with the airline. Union officials say Singapore is the only country in the region that has an age limit for senior women cabin crew.

Malaysian, Indonesian and Taiwanese carriers also ground stewardesses at 35 but senior female cabin crew stay on until they turn 45.

S.I.A. has retired three chief stewardesses so far this year, after five in the previous three years. Company officials declined to say how many more would lose their jobs by the end of the year.

Delilah Hamid, who left SIA after 11 years when she turned 35 in May, said, “S.I.A. has been selling sex appeal of the girls but that shouldn’t be the case now. It has yet to conduct a survey to see if passengers still prefer young stewardesses.” . The Singapore Girl is also barred from flying

after she has children because the airline feels she will pine for her baby on long trips away from home, union officials say. “How can we be called flying grandmothers when we can’t even be mummies on board?” said Ms Hamid. “Asian girls don’t age as quickly as Europeans. More and more of us will be affected if the rule is not changed.” “I hope they will extend the retirement age by 10 years.” But an airline spokesman said the company was not likely to change its policy. “Its philosophy has always been like this. The policy will stand, due to commercial considerations,” he said. S.I.A. officials and travel experts said the youthful Singapore Girl of the advertisements was one of the airline’s best selling points. The S.I.A. spokesman said the employment terms were clearly spelt out when stewardesses took their jobs and that they could get other posts

in the company when they stopped flying.

Union officials said they were still negotiating with the management for a collective agreement that would include extending by five years the retirement age of chief stewardesses, leading stewardesses, and in-flight supervisors.

The union said it had rejected a management offer of a revised gratuity scheme to give stewardesses more money if they retired early.

But even if the union’s efforts fail, the girls may well continue to fly after 35 — with a new airline.

Officials of London Express, a jumbo charter service between London and Singapore scheduled to begin in October, said they might recruit the retired Singapore Girls because of their experience.

“We are not worried about their age. If they can do the job, that is all that matters,” its agent, P. R. Gopal, said. '