ANA has announced that starting 2014, new hire flight attendants will be full time employee. Currently new hire flight attendants are hired as a contract employee with 3 years contract. After three years, depending on internal need of the company and individual performance there is possibility of full time position.

Contract flight attendants have fewer flying hours than full time flight attendants, hence lower wages. Supposed to be less benefits provided to contract flight attendants but I do not know any detail. Contract flight attendants was started by JAL back in 1994 to reduce the cost of employing flight attendants, and soon ANA followed.

ANA has made a comment that one of reasons of employing flight attendants on full time is competitive reason. Japan now has several LCC airlines, and to save the cost of training new hire those LCC airlines in Japan tend to give preference to applicants with prior experience. ANA thinks by maintaining contract status with flight attendants, there is great possibility of those contract flight attendants switching employment to other airlines with similar pay but full time employment status. ANA is afraid that they may become a training facility for new hire at LCC airlines. I am sure there are far more reasons for ANA to do this, since ANA has admitted that this will increase the cost of employment of flight attendants.

I have not seen detailed English press article about this. Here is very short mention in English.

Nikkei.com