Qantas illegally outsourced 1,700 jobs during the Covid-19

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Australia’s highest court has confirmed that Qantas illegally outsourced 1,700 jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic, upholding a previous federal court ruling.

Qantas had attempted to overturn the ruling but was unsuccessful. The airline now faces a substantial compensation bill for the affected employees.

Qantas was found to have illegally outsourced jobs from 10 Australian airports in November 2020.

The court’s decision confirms that the airline acted unlawfully and must compensate the affected workers. Qantas has expressed its regret for the impact of the outsourcing decision and intends to reach out to the Australian Transport Workers Union to discuss compensation.

 This ruling adds to the airline’s recent controversies, including allegations of selling tickets for cancelled flights and preventing Qatar Airways from expanding its European flight offerings. Qantas’s former CEO, Alan Joyce, recently announced his early departure.

The Transport Workers’ Union, which waged a two-year court battle against Qantas, welcomed the decision and called for the entire Qantas board to be replaced. Federal MP Bob Katter has advocated for an inquiry into the conduct of the Qantas board.

« Back to Page

• Australian airports found with Swine fever virus