On the 18th, an Australian court ruled that Qantas Airways would be fined 90 million Australian dollars (about 247 million ringgit) for illegally dismissing 1,800 ground staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing a five-year-long labor dispute to an end.
Federal Court Justice Michael Lee said he hopes this penalty will serve as a "real deterrent" to companies that may be tempted by economic benefits to violate labor laws.
In August 2020, Qantas decided to lay off these employees and outsource their jobs, at a time when there were lockdowns and border closures and COVID-19 vaccines were not yet available.
The Australian Federal Court ruled that although Qantas claimed there were "commercial needs," its actions were illegal and rejected the company's appeal.
The judge stated that 50 million Australian dollars of the penalty would be paid to the Transport Workers' Union, which represented the employees who were dismissed during the pandemic in the lawsuit.
Nine months ago, Qantas had already reached a settlement of 120 million Australian dollars with the union to compensate the dismissed employees.
Centennial Airline's Reputation Severely Damaged in Recent Years
Long praised as the "Spirit of Australia" with a 104-year history, Qantas has been working hard to repair its reputation. In recent years, the carrier’s image has suffered greatly due to illegal dismissals, soaring ticket prices, poor service quality, and the sale of seats on already-cancelled flights.
Former CEO Alan Joyce was heavily criticized for his treatment of staff and passengers and stepped down early. After Vanessa Hudson took over as Qantas CEO in 2023, she promised to improve customer satisfaction.