Sacked Qantas baggage handlers joined the Transport Workers Union (TWU) on May聽9 outside the High Court as it聽聽against Federal Court rulings that its 2020 decision to outsource the jobs of 1700 ground crew was unlawful.
The 聽ruled in 2021 the airline had breached the Fair Work Act when it sacked workers at 10 capital city and regional airports, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in November 2020.
The court decided that Qantas鈥 actions were intended to prevent the workers from carrying out collective bargaining and, potentially, taking industrial action. They meant that Qantas could face a major compensation bill.
The May 9 Guardian reported TWU聽national secretary Michael Kaine saying Qantas鈥 actions constituted 鈥渢he largest case of illegal sackings in Australian history鈥. He said the High Court鈥檚 ruling would have widespread ramifications for workers鈥 rights beyond just the aviation sector.
The High Court will be asked to determine 鈥渨hether聽Qantas outsourcing was not just cruel, irresponsible and bad for business, but whether it is confirmed as the largest case of illegal sackings in Australian history鈥, Kaine said.
Kaine criticised聽Qantas聽for spending significant amounts on the High Court appeal, instead of rebuilding the company.
The Guardian reported a聽TWU聽survey of the sacked workers showed half had not found meaningful employment in the 2.5 years since the sackings. One third suffered mental distress and one in 10 had had suicidal thoughts.
Sacked聽Qantas聽worker Don Dixon said outside the聽High Court his colleagues had lost homes and suffered mental distress and strains on their personal relationships.
on May 11 that aviation needed to 鈥渞eform to ensure this can never happen again鈥.
The union is calling for a Safe and Secure Skies Commission to: Lift standards聽for all airport workers;聽make sure workers get the聽same pay聽for doing the same job;聽hold companies like Qantas to account for聽safety and fairness; and cap聽executive聽pay packets聽and bonuses to invest in workers.
鈥淭he [Anthony] Albanese government has made several commitments to a safer and fairer聽transport industry, and it鈥檚 up to every one of us to show why reform can鈥檛 wait,鈥 it said.
The聽TWU on March聽31 slammed聽Qantas鈥 belated 100-year anniversary celebration, the cost of which could run into the hundreds of thousands.
This follows reports that former CEO Alan Joyce could pocket up to $24 million when he leaves at the end of the year.
Qantas聽received $2.7 billion in public bail-outs during the pandemic and recently posted half-yearly underlying profits of $1.4 billion.
Joyce took $24 million in pay in 2018 鈥斅爐he highest paid CEO in Australia and the highest paid airline CEO in the world.
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