Topic overview
In brief
- The Federal Court ruled that Qantas unlawfully sacked 1,820 workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Justice Lee ordered the immediate payment of approximately $38 million to affected workers.
- The decision is seen as a significant victory for workers' rights and accountability in corporate practices.
Summary
In Australia, unlawfully sacked Qantas workers are set to receive a significant compensation payout following a Federal Court ruling. The court found that Qantas had unlawfully terminated the employment of 1,820 baggage-handling, cleaning, and ground staff roles during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This decision was made to limit union bargaining power during wage negotiations. The court has mandated that approximately $38 million, which had been held in the court's coffers, be distributed to the affected workers without further delay. Justice Lee emphasized the need for transparency and criticized the compensation administrator for the prolonged delays in processing the payments.
The Transport Workers' Union had previously received a $50 million penalty for bringing attention to Qantas's illegal actions. Justice Lee's ruling comes after a series of complications regarding the assessment of non-economic losses for the affected workers. The administrator had faced challenges with independent medical expert reports, which were deemed insufficient for determining compensation. Despite these issues, Justice Lee insisted that the payments should not be further delayed, stating that it was unfair for workers who had engaged with the administrator to wait any longer.