TWU report reveals shocking sexual harassment against Australia’s cabin crew

IT WAS one thing when Qantas flight attendant Hannah Rowlands was sexually assaulted mid-flight. But the response she got made things worse.

THINGS were awful enough for Qantas flight attendant Hannah Rowlands when she was sexually assaulted by her manager during a flight. But they were about to get much more difficult.

Ms Rowlands, who was living out her dream as a flight attendant and public face of Qantas, first experienced sexual harassment by her on-board manager on a May 2015 flight from Perth.

He started to blow air on her neck and she shut him down, but the harassment continued the next week, when he made inappropriate comments and slapped her firmly on the backside.

She reported the incident immediately. But Ms Rowlands was about to discover her mid-air horror story would become even worse.

And sadly, it wasn’t unique.

Two-thirds of Australian cabin crew have been sexually harassed on the job both by co-workers and passengers, according to a harrowing survey released today by the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU).

Former Qantas cabin crew member Hannah Rowlands doesn’t feel the company supported her after she complained of sexual harassment by a manager.

Half of those harassed said it had happened more than four times, and one in five said it had happened more than 10 times.

Reports included serious sexual assault, workers being pinned down and assaulted, passengers exposing themselves, workers being touched on their groins and buttocks, highly sexualised comments and degrading comments about sexual orientation, the TWU said.

The union was told a member of crew was harassed every day, and sometimes on every flight.

‘I HAD A NAIVE IDEA I WOULD GET MY WAY’

Just as alarmingly, the survey found 69 per cent of those who had been harassed didn’t report it, mostly for fear of losing their jobs in an increasingly casualised industry, and a lack of confidence they’d be taken seriously.

And of those who did report it, a whopping 84 per cent were unhappy with the way their employer handled it.

That’s what Ms Rowlands experienced after she was harassed on that flight in May 2015.

“I sent an email that night, because it was a Sunday night, and I said I wanted to report it the next morning,” Ms Rowlands told news.com.au.

“I had no hesitation because I didn’t think I wouldn’t be well received. I had this naive idea in my head that I was going to get my way. Because why shouldn’t I? I was in the right.”

Working for Qantas was a dream job for Hannah Rowlands.

Ms Rowland asked to be rostered onto different shifts from the manager so she could avoid working directly with him, but despite promises they’d be kept apart, it kept happening, she said.

The only way she could find a solution was by taking sick leave to avoid him — but she was pulled up for taking too much leave.

Ms Rowlands said she was told she was being “disruptive” and “difficult”.

She also said the process of reporting the harassment was difficult.

“Sitting in front of quite literally a panel of five men looking at you, who had actually trained with this man … was very intimidating,” she said.

“And I remember sitting there thinking, what kind of qualifications do you have to deal with this kind of situation?”

Ms Rowlands eventually quit her job with Qantas after six months.

“I became quite detached from my love and passion for it,” she said.

“I was really, in the end, just like: ‘I don’t want you to think I’ve gone for that reason.’ I wanted to try and do something about it and then go on my terms.”

Ms Rowland first told her story on The Project earlier this year.

In a statement to news.com.au, a senior Qantas group spokesman said the incident was thoroughly investigated once the company became aware of it.

“The employee (accused of harassment) immediately apologised and showed remorse,” the spokesman said.

“It was clearly inappropriate and a number of steps were taken to directly address the conduct with the individual.

“We offered Hannah lots of support, including rostering flexibility. We assured her that she would never be compelled to work with the person with whom she made the claims.”

‘THEY’RE NOT JUST CREEPS, THEY’RE CRIMINALS’

The survey not only lifted the lid on sexual harassment by co-workers, but also by passengers.

According to the survey, while four out of five crew members experienced sexual harassment from colleagues, three in five experienced it from passengers.

Under the Sex Discrimination Act it is illegal for a customer to sexually harass staff and the employer has a duty to ensure staff are free from harassment.

“When passengers harass flight attendants, they’re not just being creeps, they’re actually acting as criminals,” Opposition deputy leader Tanya Plibersek said at the launch of the survey and the TWU’s #CabinCrewToo campaign.

Of cabin crew who experienced sexual harassment, three in five were harassed by passengers.

“It is distressing to think despite the fact the law says it’s illegal to do this behaviour, employees aren’t offered a safe workplace every day when they go to work.”

In the survey, cabin crew described incidents of passengers exposing themselves and asking for oral sex, touching their genitalia, and asking personal questions.

More than 400 airline cabin crew took part in the survey, representing about five per cent of Australia’s 8000 cabin crew workers.

They worked for Qantas, Virgin, Jetstar, Tigerair and Alliance Airlines, aviation operator Cobham and labour recruitment firms Maurice Alexander Management and Altara.

Their stories exposed an “industry in crisis” where harassment was rampant, victims were too scared to speak up, and companies didn’t handle the situation well, TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said.

“These incidents are shocking, they’re sad and they’re unacceptable,” he said.

He said the problem might be exacerbated by the hierarchical nature of the airline industry, overnight stopovers and strict dress codes for cabin crew.

The survey suggested huge underreporting of sexual harassment incidents.

“We want (companies) to put their hand up and admit there is a serious problem,” Mr Kaine said.

“This is a culture that has to end, and a culture that needs to change.”

The Qantas group spokesman said Qantas and its subsidiary Jetstar had a “zero tolerance stance on harassment” and were introducing new programs to combat it.

“We have clear processes for reporting and investigating workplace harassment claims, including whistleblower reporting that comes with additional protections to make it easier for people to come forward,” the spokesman told news.com.au.

“These processes have helped reveal behaviour that is simply not acceptable and we’ve taken action that has included terminating people’s employment.

“We’re starting a new program later this year that will ask crew what more we can do to deal with harassment and create a more inclusive culture.”

Virgin Australia told news.com.au in a statement it was concerned by the survey results.

“The safety and wellbeing of our team members is our number one priority and the Virgin Australia Group is concerned by the results of this survey,” the airline said.

“We have a zero tolerance of inappropriate behaviour and we expect our team members uphold the Virgin Australia Group values, behaviours, and Code of Conduct.

“Each Virgin Australia Group team member is required to participate in regular mandatory training of the Group Equal Employment Opportunity policy which covers sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying.”