A $90 million penalty has been imposed on Qantas for the illegal sacking of 1,820 baggage handlers during the pandemic.
The penalty handed down by Federal Court Justice Michael Lee yesterday marks the end of a lengthy legal battle spearheaded by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) on behalf of sacked workers.
In a scathing judgment Justice Lee said Qantas’ regret over the sackings “…more likely reflects the damage this case has done to the company, rather than a remorse for the damage done to the affected workers”.
Justice Lee described the airline as “the wrong kind of sorry” and criticised its attempts to conceal the decision-making process behind the sackings, including the involvement of former CEO Alan Joyce.
Union tenacity rewarded
Justice Lee highlighted the tenacity of the TWU in seeking justice for the sacked workers, where the government and its agencies had failed to do so.
“The Commonwealth assumed no burden in pursuing Qantas’ contraventions, it did nothing to initiate proceedings against Qantas in relation to the contravening conduct (notwithstanding the Fair Work Ombudsman had standing under s 539 of the [Fair Work Act]),” he wrote in the judgment.
