Japan Airlines fined in Taiwan

Taiwanese authorities said Thursday they have fined the local subsidiary of Japanese Airlines (JAL) for illegally firing senior employees in a bid to cut costs. JAL was fined 600,000 Taiwan dollars (19,600 US) for violating regulations against age discrimination in laying off 18 senior flight attendants earlier this year, said the Taipei city government's Labour Department.
The airline had shown "the lay-off decision was a consideration of minimising cost", the department said in a statement, but added that "it was a camouflage of age discrimination". The department said JAL had insisted the decision was based on functionality, cost and performance, but failed to provide sufficient evidence as some of the sacked employees had been given awards for their performances. It said JAL refused to reconsider the lay-offs despite an appeal filed by the flight attendants to labour authorities.