December 21, 2024 07:38 AM

Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants Claim Uniform is Too Revealing & Causes Sexual Harassment

Flight attendants on Cathay Pacific are not happy with their uniform. A flight attendant's union claims that the uniforms are too revealing and should be changed to prevent sexual harassment.

The Daily Mail reports that the female cabin crew members say the white blouses are cut too short and the red skirts are too tight, leaving them exposed and uncomfortable, according to the Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants Union.

"They are worried about the uniform being too short when they work," FAU vice chairman Julian Yau said according to the Daily Mail. He added that the uniform may be causing sexual harassment.

Yau claims that many flight attendants complained about the uniform since its introduction in 2011. Some said that the shortness of the blouse leaves them exposed when they bend down to assist passengers.

"The uniform represents the company and (should) also make the crew feel comfortable and confident," Yau said. "We really hope that Cathay will do something."

The female flight attendants are hoping that the airline lengthens the blouses and makes the skirts looser.

The claims that the uniforms cause sexual harassment may not be wrong. A study released in February by the southern Chinese city's Equal Opportunities Commission found that 27 percent of Hong Kong's flight attendants were victims of sexual harassment on flights over the past year. Of the 392 respondents that said they were sexually harassed, 86 percent were female. The sexual harassment behaviors includes "patting, touching, kissing or pinching," or "staring in a sexual way" or "sexual jokes and requests for sexual favours."

"We do not tolerate any form of harassment and take the issue of sexual harassment seriously," Cathay Pacific told the South China Morning Post. The airline doesn't seem to be willing to change the uniform. "Crew are welcome to exchange their uniform any time if they feel the fit is not right," a spokesperson told the paper.

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