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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] SYDNEY, August 18, 2025 – Australia’s Federal Court has ordered Qantas Airways to pay AUD 90 million (approx. KRW 812 billion) in penalties for unlawfully terminating ground staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ruling concluded that Qantas’ dismissal of 1,820 ground workers in 2020, while outsourcing their roles to contractors, violated labor laws by infringing on employees’ rights to unionize and engage in collective bargaining.
The decision follows a 2023 High Court ruling, which had already deemed the mass layoffs unlawful, rejecting Qantas’ claim that the move was an unavoidable restructuring due to pandemic-driven financial losses.
According to the court, Qantas management had projected annual cost savings of AUD 125 million (approx. KRW 1.13 trillion) through outsourcing, underscoring the need for strong deterrence. The judgment directed that AUD 50 million of the fine be paid to the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU), which brought the case forward, noting that the violations would not have been exposed without the union’s legal action.
The allocation of the remaining AUD 40 million will be determined in a subsequent hearing.
Qantas has not yet issued an official statement regarding the ruling.
알파경제 Kim Jisun (stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
