A judge has rejected the TWU’s request for the reinstatement of around 1,800 outsourced Qantas workers, finding it was inevitable that the airline would retrench the workers again as soon as lawfully possible.
Qantas is locked in a legal battle with a US-based pilot training provider over failed negotiations concerning the development of a $35 million pilot academy in regional Queensland.
Union members who allegedly urged former Qantas workers to give misleading information to the Federal Court via a survey in a lawsuit brought on behalf of 2,000 stood-down ground staff may be called to explain themselves after a judge expressed concern over their conduct.
The Fair Work Commission has ruled that a mask mandate issued by Qantas as part of its Fly Well program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was “lawful and reasonable” as it tossed an unfair dismissal case brought by a former flight attendant.
The 64-year-old son of former Qantas chairman Sir Lenox Hewitt, who sued the airline for age discrimination earlier this year, has taken the company to court again alleging he’s owed over $90,000 in compensation.
A judge has criticised Qantas and the Transport Workers’ Union for their “not particularly helpful” public comments about whether or not ground staff will be reinstated upon resolution of their long-running outsourcing dispute.
Qantas has lost its second attempt to delay a hearing on further relief pending an appeal in its outsourcing spat with the Transport Workers Union, with a judge finding a stay would prejudice the union more than the airline.
Qantas has filed a bid to delay a hearing on penalty after a judge found the airline outsourced ground operations partly to prevent employees engaging in industrial action, but the TWU has said a stay would be “unfair” to 1,600 former ground staff.
A proposed alliance between Qantas and Japan Airlines has failed to take flight after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said the coordination of flights between Australia, New Zealand and Japan could cause ticket prices to soar.
Qantas Airways is seeking to overturn a Federal Court finding that its decision to axe 2,000 ground staff and replace them with labour hire workers during the COVID-19 pandemic was made partially to stop workers engaging in industrial action.