Gender Newsletter: As a flight attendant, I have no reason to wipe your butt

On a plane flying back to Taiwan from Los Angeles, USA, a stout, physically handicapped man asked a flight attendant to assist in the toilet, citing an arm injury that prevented him from going to the toilet independently. In accordance with humanitarian considerations, the flight attendant led the stout man into the toilet, which he thought would help, but the man further asked the flight attendant to "take off his pants", "take off his underwear" and even "wipe his butt".

News, but also attracted two different voices from the community to discuss with each other, a large number of netizens in the News link message Office said: "If Evergreen does not protect employees, such airlines refused to give up!" There are also claims by another faction condemning the victims: "The flight attendant himself should be prepared in his heart and out of his habit." 」

Picture | Face Book screenshot

When I see a message condemning a flight attendant emerging, I can't help but wonder, when does the flight attendant's scope of work include helping passengers "wipe their butts"? What causes men to think they can ask for a flight attendant so much? What is the truth that a flight attendant must bear such a natural mental ordeal?

Passengers can't take the toilet, it shouldn't be the duty of a flight attendant.

Restore the situation on the day of the incident, the flight attendant wrote on his private face, mentioned that the stout man's right hand was broken and unable to apply, and because his body was too strong, asked to go to the business class toilet, based on humanitarian considerations, the flight attendant promised the man and led him into the toilet.

Just less than a minute after the man entered the toilet, the call Light (service bell) in the toilet sounded immediately, the flight attendant entered the toilet to ask about the passenger condition, the man said, "My underwear is half off, now can not pull down, you help me take off." "Although the flight attendant said in the first place that he was unable to serve, the other passengers had the right to toilet, taking into account that the plane, which had been on the voyage for nearly 14 hours, had the power to take the man's reproductive organs, so he was ready to help the man take off his underwear.

At this point, the man patted the flight attendant hand holding the blanket and said: "Take this away, I do not need this, you now come to take off my underwear, I want to go to the toilet!" ' It was taken by the man so much that the blanket fell off and the flight attendant saw the man's reproductive organs in this way without warning. stoutly endure discomfort, flight attendant hard to take off the man's underwear let him smooth toilet, outside the door to guard. 15 minutes later, the man spoke again.

"You can come in." "The flight attendant thought that the man had finished the toilet, and did not expect that the man was still sitting on the toilet, saying"ok I'm fine now, you can come in and wipe my butt. "The flight attendant strongly said at this time that he really could not provide assistance, but the man ignored it and growled at the flight attendant" This is what you promised me! 」

A passenger who makes unreasonable demands. Picture |ptt screenshot

The flight attendant had "no way" to leave the man in the toilet, taking into account that other passengers still had the right to use the toilet. Finally, the cockpit length (CP) wears 3 layers of gloves to help the man wipe his butt. On the way the man also groaned and shouted: "umm,deeper,deeper! "Then let the former flight attendant help him wear his underwear and trousers back."

It was only then that the incident finally went to a passage.

According to the Apple Daily News, Evergreen Airways spokesman Kurking said: "There are rules on the plane that flight attendants have the right to refuse unreasonable requests from passengers, such as feeding, feeding, taking to the bathroom, and so on." In response to the passenger's request, we will find a flight attendant to have a deep understanding of whether the passengers have acted in harassment and will take proper legal action. 」

Although Evergreen responded that "The flight attendant has the right to reject unreasonable demands," imagine, if we were the flight attendant, "how" would we refuse passengers during the more than 10-hour flight? "How" Do you watch other passengers use the toilet for no use? "How" do you want passengers to self-help themselves in the toilet?

The point has never been that the flight attendant "can" refuse, but should "how" to refuse?

From Evergreen's response, it is clear that the blame for the incident as a "stewardess did not refuse" personal reasons, in fact, is another kind of discharge of the enterprise. It seems particularly ironic to recall the "We are very fond of our staff", as expressed by Evergreen spokesman during their visit.

A flight attendant who was victimized by this incident. Picture |ettoday Live screenshot

After the struggle, the working conditions of the flight attendants did not improve significantly.

This incident broke out, the flight attendant related labor rights and interests discussion again surfaced, in fact, this is not the first time a flight attendant labor dispute incident occurred. As early as 2016, China Airlines flight attendants launched 3 consecutive days of strikes, the seven claims put forward in the strike action, including the protection of 8 days of the month, the implementation of two-way mutual evaluation of performance appraisals, in addition to the cross-ocean route, flight attendants are protected by the "Rauki Law" also received a positive response from the management. (Recommended reading: China Airlines strike scene: This is not only the war of Labor, but also the war of women's rights and interests )

But why is there still a lot of controversy about the labor rights and interests of flight attendants after the struggle? Let's go back to the current situation and discuss:

Invisible Emotional labor costs

In 1979, Arlie Hochschild, an American sociologist, proposed the concept of "emotional labor" (emotional Labor), based on the labor experience of Delta Air Services in the United States.

Generally mention "Labor", we may be associated with the body to pay the labor, the brain to pay the thinking, but ignore the "mood" is also a kind of labor. Regardless of their physical and mental state, flight attendants must manage their emotions, will be true feelings repressed, showing "cheerful, affinity" and other emotions. Accumulated over a long period of time, such emotional labor will affect from work to private life, and from life to work.

The flight attendants are still mostly female.

The serious gender imbalance is also a bottle of oil that exacerbates the labor dispute among flight attendants, and according to the United News Network, Evergreen Airways does not have any male flight attendants out of more than 4,000 crew members. In the case of different innate physiological conditions, in the face of today's scene, female flight attendants even if they want to seek assistance, I am afraid there is nowhere to be found.

Today, four years after the enactment of the Gender Equality Act, we look forward to seeing that the aviation industry will be able to remove gender segregation in the recruitment of talents, to hire suitable talents alone, and to gradually return the ratio of men to women to balance.

Women are expected to provide labor unconditionally

In the context of the number of flight attendants who already have more boys and girls, women are more expected to provide quality services while staying cordial and courteous. Whether it is the airline's main characteristics or quality service, there are female flight attendants labor pay as the base, so the community more think that "stewardess is to be gentle and graceful ah." 」

Hidden emotional labor, a serious imbalance between men and women, and women being expected to provide cordial labor may be one of the reasons why passengers are expectations to flight attendants. (Recommended reading: The flight attendant must have a waist? The stewardess didn't "play sexy" in his job assignment.

Picture | Source (non-party)

A reasonable workplace environment, what will be the appearance?

All walks of life have their own criticism or unreasonable ecology, whether or not as a flight attendant, the outbreak of this incident gives us the opportunity to think about what is a reasonable scope of work? What is a reasonable workplace environment? What is a reasonable industrial ecology?

Reasonable, is a very broad range of words, each person can accept the reasonable degree of different, in this case, we talk about "in a workplace environment that you think is unreasonable, what you can do" and "in a workplace environment that you think is reasonable, what else you can do."

If you think you are in an unreasonable workplace environment and are often expected to do work beyond the scope of your cognitive work, you often do not agree with such an ecology. You have one two two choices:

• If the truth is illegal, report it.
• If you can't accept it, leave.

Regardless of how you spend your days after you leave the job, believe that you deserve to be treated with your heart, and if you don't jump into a fire pit for no reason, how can you give yourself a good self to an organization that doesn't want to be kind to you?

If you think you are in a reasonable workplace environment, whether it is salary, work content is in line with your expectations, then congratulations, because there are many people are waiting for an opportunity like this. Also invite you, when you see the unreasonable workplace environment of others, extend your warm hand and give him a little strength to work hard.

Hopefully, one day, we will see that all walks of life can maintain gender equality and be treated rationally.