Only young stunners wearing G-strings need apply

CLAIMS by former Ansett flight attendants that Virgin Blue rejected them for jobs because they were too old are to be heard tomorrow by the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Tribunal.
One of the complainants told The Australian yesterday that her interview to become a Virgin flight attendant amounted to little more than a meat market with a song and dance thrown in.
“It become very clear that if you weren’t young, blonde, gorgeous and with legs up to your armpits, you had no chance,” said 56-year-old Carol Dowling.
Ms Dowling said the airline’s application process included being asked to demonstrate the “Virgin flair” by singing or dancing.
Eight female flight attendants – aged 36 to 56 when they applied for Virgin Blue jobs in 2001 – claim that less than 3 per cent of the discount, no-frills airline’s workforce are older than 33, and that 799 of its 803 flight attendants are under 35.
Ms Dowling believes her 29 years’ experience with Ansett Airlines, which collapsed in late 2001, counted for nothing at Virgin, an attitude that contrasted starkly with rival airline Qantas, which interviewed Ms Dowling yesterday for a flight attendant’s job.
“They (Qantas) were extremely professional and they asked me things that were extremely relevant,” she said.
“It took five hours – and they didn’t ask me to sing or dance.”
In the original application to the tribunal there were 10 complainants. However, two have decided not to proceed further.
The application contended that Virgin not only discriminated against older workers but that the airline’s group test recruitment strategy was indirectly discriminatory in that it “favoured youth”.
The Richard Branson-owned Virgin is expected to ask the Brisbane hearing to dismiss the case on the grounds that its search for “Virgin flair” has nothing to do with age.
Virgin Blue head of strategy and communications David Huttner yesterday declined to comment specifically on the case before tomorrow’s hearing. “But I can tell you that we have people not just in the office but also on the front line, like cabin crew and check-in staff, of a wide variety of ages and background,’ Mr Huttner said.
At an earlier hearing of the case, the tribunal in May upheld Virgin’s right to request a song and dance from applicants as part of its recruitment process.
It pointed out that the ability to sing and dance was not dependent on age.
The tribunal found that Virgin actually rejected more candidates aged 18 to 22 than it did those aged 43 to 47, and that the airline actually rejected 93 per cent of candidates under 32 and 92 per cent of candidates above that age.
The discrimination complaint is not the first controversy involving Virgin Blue flight attendants.
In 2001, Virgin Blue angrily denied claims by the Flight Attendants Association of Australia that it asked female flight attendants to wear G-strings, after several attendants had complained to unions about the requirement.
And a female business executive told the crikey.com.au website that the airline’s female flight attendants – whom she branded “fembots” – treated her like she was invisible while they “smilingly farewell every single male passenger”.