Qantas has officially lost its appeal it lodged to turn around a ruling that labelled the redundancy of 1,700 ground handles and outsourcing of critical functions of Australian airports unlawful.
The latest appeal has revealed that Qantas illegally made over a thousand ground handlers’ roles redundant during the height of the pandemic by using unlawful justification.
All this was part of Qantas’ bid to cut down costs when travel demand had plummeted to essentially zero for both domestic and international operations for Australia due to strict lockdown procedures in each state.
The High Court handed down the judgement, essentially upholding two rulings made by the Federal Court.
Qantas notes that while it acknowledges upholding the verdict, it was forced to make such cuts to its business to protect it for years. Adding that the restructuring was to help the future recovery and ultimately to help it survive.
The Australian flag-carriers outsourcing, especially in critical business areas since the COVID-19 pandemic, has been a crucial attribute to why the airline’s reputation has also gone down the gutter with a customer support team providing more problems than answers to customers over recent years.
While those who were illegally fired won’t return to their roles, they will be entitled to receive compensation, and Qantas will likely see a slap on the wrists, too, in the realm of a fine.
Following this ruling and despite Alan Joyce departing the airline as their CEO, there are still calls for a substantial reshuffle to the board. Analysts and ex-Qantas employees believe it is necessary to transform the company’s image truly.
If this was any other private company the consequences would have been very severe. Why so lenient on Qantas?
Don’t believe the Qantas spin on their reasons for the sacking of these workers. I was one of those who was sacked and 90% of us were already stood down receiving the government payment which Qantas was receiving to pay us. This is Karma. So proud of the people I worked with. Been a he’ll of a ride. Congratulations to you all.Dave R
They should make Allan Joyce face the workers he sacked. He’s a coward who hides behind a board who has no morals and a government who think they are untouchable. Qantas was a proud airline where workers could feel a sense of pride working for a great airline it meant something for all us proud Australians. When in a foreign land we could see the flying kangaroo and no it was a touch of home when we flew with them. Now it’s all about greed and put profits ahead of loyalty, blood. Sweat and tears. Theo should divide the $24,000,000 to the workers who got fired not give it a man who has no dignity or honour. It’s no call the “ Spirit of Greed”
Allan Joyce should be locked up and made to pay back the millions he stole from the Australian people for running Qantas into the ground not only for the illegal sacking of the hard working staff and outsourcing of jobs that he sent overseas to the cheapest bidder they are well were Australian jobs for the Australian people that’s where the Australian spirit and pride come from clearly your not going to get that when you hire someone from overseas who doesn’t care about Australia and I hope that Richard Goyder can still stand by he’s comment that Allan Joyce is the best CEO that Australia has ever seen clearly lying how many millions did Allan Joyce pay you to say that he also needs to go to jail and don’t get me started about the insider trading there’s rich entitled wankers need to go