If evidence were needed that courts are not rubber stamping class action settlements, the scrutiny of multi-million dollar agreements in 2021 is proof positive that judicial oversight of representative proceedings is robust.
Westpac is facing a lawsuit by a 67-year-old former manager, who alleges a colleague began a bullying campaign against him, including by asking him ‘When are you going to retire?’, after he complained that she was responsible for a backlog of declined insurance cases.
Accounting giant KPMG is seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a former long-serving employee over “unnecessarily aggressive, belittling and disproportionate” emails allegedly attacking his professional integrity.
Technology giant Lenovo has been accused of taking adverse action against a compliance manager who complained of workplace bullying and harassment.
The Transport Workers Union has appealed a judge’s decision that compensation was a more appropriate remedy for 1,800 Qantas workers who had been denied the “matchless blessing” of a job than reinstatement.
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.
Australia’s leading regional airline faces further litigation after an appeals court found it sent a threatening letter to prospective cadet pilots, urging them to stay in cheap, “inappropriate accommodation” in order to demonstrate their commitment to the company.
Saying it will only benefit the law firm and lead applicants, a judge has refused to approve a settlement in an underpayments class action against supermarket giant Woolworths, which would see no payout to employees.
The ABC has resolved a discrimination lawsuit brought by a reporter who claimed she developed a medical condition as a result of being overworked.
A former employee of Sydney Water, who was featured in a “humiliating” workplace safety poster alongside the words ‘feel great – lubricate’, has won her bid to pursue an unlawful termination claim.