Virgin Blue recruiting 'a blonde cattle yard'

VIRGIN Blue, the Australian no-frills airline, has been dragged before a sex discrimination tribunal, accused of employing flight attendants on the basis of looks in what amounts to a 'cattle yard' for young blondes.

Theresa Stewart, 52, told the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal in Virgin Blue's home town of Brisbane that she was refused a job at the airline in late 2001 despite her 27 years' experience.

The official reason was because she didn't have 'Virgin flair', but she believes it was because she didn't fit Sir Richard Branson's idea of beauty.

'It was a cattle yard; a one-hour holding area,' Ms Stewart told the tribunal.

'The assessment was designed to view a large number of people in a very short space of time to see how they look. They were after a certain look that appeals to Richard Branson. If you had two beautiful, blonde girls they went to them like homing pigeons.'

Virgin Blue, started by Branson in 2001, benefited greatly from the collapse of Australia's then-second domestic carrier Ansett, and many of that airline's flight attendants thought they may be able to find new positions with Virgin.

But at least eight women, aged between 36 and 56, claim their hopes were dashed because of their age and looks. All the women are expected to give evidence over the hearing, which will last the rest of the week.

Stewart said that at the Virgin Blue 'assessment centre' she was not asked about her experience but rather made to perform role plays, make up a skit and a 'ditty' with other Virgin hopefuls.

Stewart rejected a suggestion by Virgin Blue's barrister that she wasn't selected for the job because she didn't like role-playing. 'No. I'm a bright, sensible human being and I'm adaptable to a lot of situations,' she said.

In any case, Stewart said, she took part in a sketch about a terrorist she was asked to perform with the rest of the group. She welcomed the 'terrorist' aboard asking: 'Is that a gun in your pocket or are you pleased to see me.'

'This is a hijack,' the terrorist replied. 'Take me to your captain.' He was then tackled to the floor by the rest of the group which then burst into a song they had been asked to write. 'That was it,' Stewart told the tribunal. 'It was an extraordinary interview.'

Stewart's barrister, Simon Hamlyn-Harris, referred to the front cover of lads' mag FHM with Virgin staff posing seductively under the headline 'Brace yourself for travel turbulence: real life cabin crew without uniforms', as evidence of the look that Virgin Blue was courting.