Qantas ordered to compensate illegally fired workers
A court ordered Qantas Airways to pay a combined A$170,000 ($114,000) to three of the airport ground workers it fired in the fire and rehire scheme in 2020, already deemed illegal.
The airline let 1,700 former workers go whose jobs were then outsourced.
Judge Michael Lee said Qantas must pay for non-economic loss for their firing and all their other colleagues.
The carrier will now use these three payouts as ‘test cases’ to agree payouts to all others with the union.
It could cost the company up to A$100 million, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) says.
Last year a court found the airline guilty of illegally firing the workers.
The airline recently agreed a settlement to pay more than A$100 million for selling tickets on ‘ghost flights’ that Qantas knowingly had no intention of flying.
“Qantas says it’s turned over a new leaf,” said Michael Kaine, national secretary of the Transport Workers Union.
“It’s time to prove it. After relentlessly prolonging this case and denying workers justice, Qantas must do everything in its power to ensure appropriate compensation.”
Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said: “We know that the onus is on Qantas to learn from this”.
Related News Stories:
Related News Stories:
TravelMole Editorial Team
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.
Quentin JohnsonOct 22, 2024 02:48 PM
Not the best way to run a company. Has the CEO of Qantas been fired or resigned yet? Probably not. Quentin Johnson Rockwood Canada
Log in to Reply
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Woman dies after getting ‘entangled’ in baggage carousel
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Protestors now targeting Amsterdam cruise calls