An Australian court has fined airline giant Qantas a record 90 million dollars for illegally sacking over 1,800 ground workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Australia’s Transport Workers’ Union said it welcomed the penalty, which is the largest imposed by a court for violations of industrial relations laws in the country’s history.
Federal Court Justice Michael Lee said in the judgement that he wanted the fine to act as a “real deterrence” to other employers.
The airline said in a statement that it has agreed to pay the fine and that the ruling holds it accountable for actions that caused “real harm” to its employees.
The fine is the largest financial penalty issued to an Australian company under the Fair Work Act, which sets out rules for workers and employees.
Australia’s biggest airline has faced a years-long legal battle over its decision in 2020 to outsource its ground operations staff, which it said was a necessary financial measure as the aviation industry came to a standstill during the pandemic.
