Qantas has been ordered to pay compensation of up to $100,000 to workers who were made redundant during the COVID pandemic.
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00:00Justice Michael Lee dealt with three test cases for compensation, and for each he's
00:08now awarded $30,000, $40,000 and $100,000.
00:13Each test case deals with unique circumstances regarding how the individual was able to respond
00:19in terms of finding employment, as well as the mental and personal anguish taken on as
00:25a result of these now illegal sackings by Qantas in 2020.
00:30It was 1,700 workers who were given the boot when Qantas sought to outsource baggage handling
00:35and crew checks on the ground across 10 airports in Australia back in 2020.
00:45Now after several fights in both the federal and high court, they've been ordered to pay
00:49out these compensation figures, however, the total amount they need to pay out is not entirely
00:55clear.
00:56That will require negotiation between the Transport Workers' Union, who represented
01:01the sacked workers in this case, as well as Qantas to determine where workers sit across
01:07these three different types of compensation payouts.
01:10The union says they're hoping Qantas negotiates in good faith, and that the court has sent
01:15a message that these sackings were not only illegal, but will face significant financial
01:21punishment.
01:22And today is finally the day of justice, after over four years, after having to go now to
01:29four different courts, including the highest court in the land, which unanimously of course
01:35found that Qantas acted illegally in sacking these 1,700 workers.
01:42Well guess what?
01:43Today is your day, and importantly, the federal court has today sent a powerful message to
01:50corporate Australia, that if you engage in this sort of behaviour, you will be held
01:55to account.
01:56Alongside lawyers in the Transport Workers' Union were some of the workers impacted.
02:01Don Dixon spoke of the personal toll on his and colleagues' life after they were let go
02:07by Qantas in 2020.
02:09So many families struggled in this campaign, losing your job as quickly and as brutally
02:16as it was, it was a horrible thing.
02:18We thought we were there for the rest of our lives.
02:20While the Transport Workers' Union estimates the total cost for this compensation payout
02:25could be in excess of $100 million, the reality is the pain for Qantas doesn't end here.
02:31We also will see them face a separate penalty.
02:35This will be for breaking the law and not be paid out to workers in the form of compensation.
02:41So the total bill still yet to be known.
02:44Mediation is set between the two parties in November, and the matter will return to the
02:49federal court.
02:50Beforehand though, Qantas has its annual general meeting in Hobart this Friday, where it's
02:57expected they will be not only speaking to shareholders, but also reacting to this judgement.