Earlier today the High Court of Australia ruled that Qantas acted illegally in sacking 1, 700 staff across ten airports, outsourcing their work across several different entities. This was done in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic as a cost-cutting measure. At a press conference announcing the High Court ruling, National Secretary of the Transport Workers Union Michael Kaine alongside several affected ex-employees, applauded the outcome and what it meant for both the Union and the former employees.
The Transport Workers Union has been fighting for this outcome for nearly three years, during which time Qantas appealed a Federal Court decision to the High Court. Since Qantas had so drastically changed the structure of the business since sacking the 1, 700 workers, there was no way for the company to reinstate jobs.
The affected former workers are now able to seek compensation for the illegal termination of their jobs, which is now a Federal Court matter.
Image: Image: Shutterstock – TK Kurikawa
Produced By: Steven Samaras
Featured In Story: Nick McIntosh, National Assistant Secretary of the Transport Workers Union
First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 13 September 2023