Qantas Faces $170,000 Compensation Bill After Illegal Sackings

The Federal Court has ordered Qantas to pay nearly $200,000 in compensation to three workers as a result of unlawful sackings during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Justice Michael Lee ruling in favor of the Transport Workers Union (TWU). This ruling serves as a 'test case' for the compensation of 716 employees out of the 1,700 dismissed in 2020, with the amount awarded varying among the claimants. Qantas has been found to have acted unlawfully when it outsourced these roles, and despite the airline's argument that job losses were inevitable due to the pandemic's impact, the court highlighted the illegal nature of the sackings. The total compensation owed could reach tens of millions, pending further hearings scheduled for November to finalize the amounts due for income lost by the other affected staff. Qantas has issued an apology to those impacted and is working with the TWU to expedite payments. This case is noted as one of the largest instances of illegal sackings in Australian corporate history.