A decision by Qantas to outsource its ground staff was not timed to head off industrial action by the Transport Workers’ Union, the Full Federal Court has heard as the airline seeks to overturn a finding that it engaged in adverse action when it terminated around 1,800 employees last year.
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.
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 has lost its second attempt to delay a hearing on further relief pending an appeal in its outsourcing spat with the Transport Workers Union, with a judge finding a stay would prejudice the union more than the airline.
Qantas has filed a bid to delay a hearing on penalty after a judge found the airline outsourced ground operations partly to prevent employees engaging in industrial action, but the TWU has said a stay would be āunfairā to 1,600 former ground staff.
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 granted special leave to the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner in a case dealing with how the CFMEUās history as a serial offender should have been considered when assessing the penalty the union should face for breaches of the Fair Work Act.
In a victory for gig economy workers, the Fair Work Commission has found that a Deliveroo driver who was sacked for not working fast enough was an employee, saying the company’s power to exert control over its workers with data collected through its app weighed in favour of a finding of that employer-employee relationship existed.