Record Fine Handed to Qantas for Breaching Fair Work Act

Qantas was fined a record A$90 million by the Australian Federal Court for
unlawfully sacking 1,800 ground staff during COVID-19—the largest corporate
penalty ever imposed under Australia’s labour laws.

This fine is in addition to the A$120 million compensation fund Qantas has already
set up for the terminated workers. Of the A$90 million penalty, A$50 million will be
paid to the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU), which brought the legal challenge. The
remaining A$40 million is expected to be distributed among the affected workers,
with Justice Lee to determine the final allocation at a further hearing.

The court found Qantas’ outsourcing of ground staff in 2020 was intended to
undermine union negotiations and violated the Fair Work Act.
Judge Michael Lee criticized Qantas for showing “the wrong kind of sorry,” noting the
company’s apologies seemed more focused on protecting its reputation than
expressing genuine remorse for affected workers. He also criticised the absence of
CEO Vanessa Hudson from the witness box saying she was uniquely placed to
assist the court.Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson again publicly apologised, acknowledging the hardship caused to ground handling employees and their families.

The ruling follows a failed appeal to the High Court by Qantas and has been hailed
as a major victory for workers’ rights, signalling a strong warning to other Australian
employers regarding unlawful labour practices.

Source: Send a message; Union payday as Qantas fines record $90m by Robyn Ironside
The Australian Aug18th.