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Qantas loses illegal outsourcing case
More woes for under-fire flag carrier Qantas.
The airline lost its appeal against a ruling it illegally fired workers to bring in cheap outsourced labour.
The High Court unanimously dismissed Qantas’s appeal.
The Transport Workers Union (TWU) has takin Qantas to court.
It hailed the ‘historic’ verdict.
The TWU has called for the Qantas board to be culled.
“The Joyce regime has been toppled but the airline cannot achieve the reset necessary for its survival under the same board,” the TWU said.
“The final act of this board should be to strip Alan Joyce of his bonuses and follow him out the door.”
Qantas ‘acknowledges and accepts’ the High Court ruling.
“We deeply regret the personal impact the outsourcing decision had on all those affected and we sincerely apologise for that,” it said.
“The likelihood of a years’ long crisis led Qantas to restructure its business to improve its ability to survive and ultimately recover.”
Qantas outsourced 1,700 jobs of baggage handlers and cleaners, which were deemed a violation of the Fair Work Act.
The TWU says it was the ‘largest illegal sacking in Australian corporate history.’
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce left early due to intense pressure over a number of issues afflicting the airline.
There was heavy criticism over high ticket prices and claims it colluded with the government to block rival Qatar Airways from offering more flights to Australia.
There were also allegations it knowingly sold tickets for already cancelled flights,
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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