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.
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 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.
Qantas has lost a case brought by the Transport Workers Union that challenged the airlineās decision to axe 2,000 staff and replace them with āinsecureā labour hire workers, with a judge finding Qantas boss Andrew David outsourced ground operations partly to prevent employees engaging in industrial action.
The High Court has denied special leave to unions representing 20,000 Qantas workers who were stood down during the coronavirus pandemic to challenge a ruling that they were not entitled to paid sick or compassionate leave.
Lawyerly’s Litigation Firms of 2020 delivered significant victories for clients last year in bet-the-company matters, thriving in a tumultuous year that saw courts and litigants adapt to virtual trials and other new norms that are sure to outlast the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Transport Workers’ Union has amended its case against Qantas challenging a decision to outsource 2,000 jobs, after a Federal Court judge urged the union to consider narrowing the lawsuit against the airline.
Qantas has been hit with a test case to determine whether axing 2,000 ground staff and replacing them with “insecure” labour hire workers is unlawful.
The Full Federal Court has upheld a ruling that the CFMEU was “knowingly concerned” in the refusal of union officers to produce entry permits at a Queensland building site, with the appeals court saying it was”difficult” to understand how the union was not an accessory to the contraventions of its employees.