Tigerair Taiwan should pay the back salaries of about 20 female employees who were forced to take unpaid leave while they were pregnant, the Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union said yesterday.
The union is considering suing Tigerair Taiwan if the airline fails to pay the salaries, union secretary-general Chou Sheng-kai (周聖凱) said.
The Taoyuan Office of Gender Equality on Thursday said that Tigerair Taiwan’s work regulations — which require flight attendants to take unpaid leave when pregnant — contravene the Gender Equality in Employment Act (性別平等工作法), Chou said.
Photo courtesy of Tigerair Taiwan Ltd
The ruling was issued in response to a complaint filed by several flight attendants in June last year with assistance from the union, he said.
Based on cases reported to the union, the budget carrier forced about 20 flight attendants to take unpaid leave during pregnancy over the past five years, he said.
The Office of Gender Equality said that the airline faces a fine of NT$300,000 to NT$1.5 million (US$9,559 to US$47,795), with the final amount expected to be announced early next month.
Earlier this year, the airline was fined NT$640,000 for denying pay raises to employees who took unpaid paternity or maternity leave, which is also a breach of the act, Chou said.
While most airlines typically support pregnant flight attendants by temporarily reassigning them to ground duties, Tigerair Taiwan has failed to offer alternative assignments, Chou said.
Tigerair Taiwan said that it values gender equality and the protection of employee rights, and is committed to providing a friendly, equal and respectful workplace.
It would carefully address public concerns regarding gender equality, maintain open communication with employees, and conduct in-depth reviews of its policies and their implementation, it said.
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