Sydney \u2013 An Australian court fined Qantas Aus$90 million (US$59 million) on Monday for illegally laying off 1,800 ground staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, ending a five-year legal battle over the workers’ rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Federal Court Justice Michael Lee said he wanted the penalty to be a “real deterrence” to firms that might be tempted by the financial rewards of breaching employment law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qantas decided to sack the workers and outsource their jobs in August 2020, a period of lockdowns and border closures when no Covid-19 vaccine existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Australia’s Federal Court subsequently found that Qantas had acted illegally despite its stated “commercial imperatives” and later dismissed an appeal by the airline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It said the carrier had prevented staff from accessing their rights to collectively bargain or take industrial action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Long-dubbed the “Spirit of Australia”, 104-year-old Qantas has been on a mission to repair its reputation, which was hit in recent years by the illegal sackings, soaring ticket prices, claims of sloppy service, and the selling of seats on already-cancelled flights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson took over in 2023, promising to improve customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She replaced Alan Joyce, who stepped down earlier than planned as Qantas endured heavy criticism over its treatment of workers and passengers, despite delivering bumper profits for shareholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qantas’ fine is to be paid in two parts, the court said, with Aus$50 million going to the Transport Workers Union and Aus$40 million being held for future payments to the former workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The penalty is in addition to a compensation payment of Aus$120 million for affected former employees that Qantas agreed to last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It has been five long years. Today is a victory, not just for our colleagues but for all Australian workers,” said Anne Guirguis, who worked at Qantas for 27 years cleaning aircraft before being laid off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We can close this chapter and move on now,” Guirguis told reporters outside court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Transport Workers’ Union National Secretary Michael Kaine described Monday’s decision as a “final win” for the Qantas workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Qantas was not sorry to workers when it illegally outsourced these workers, many finding out they’d lost their jobs over a loudspeaker in the lunch room,” Kaine said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Qantas is only sorry now that it has to pay the largest penalty fine of any employer in Australian corporate history.”<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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