Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson, who took over in November 2023, has apologized to the affected workers and acknowledged the need for improvement.

Qantas Airways has been ordered to pay nearly $200,000 to three workers after illegally firing 1,700 employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The airline's decision to outsource baggage handling and cleaning services between late 2020 and early 2021 was made amidst significant flight cancellations due to the pandemic.

Despite claiming the sackings were necessary cost-cutting measures, Qantas contested the lawsuit all the way to the High Court.

Both the Full Court of the Federal Court and the High Court upheld that the Fair Work Act protects workers' rights to future bargaining, rejecting Qantas's appeal.

Justice Michael Lee is currently determining the penalties for Qantas, following the High Court's decision to reinstate the case for further action.

The damages awarded included $30,000 for minor non-economic harm, $40,000 for more serious harm, and $100,000 for significantly severe harm suffered by the workers.

In response to the ruling, Qantas announced its commitment to expedite payments and engage in mediation with the Transport Workers Union (TWU) to speed up the compensation process.

The TWU represented 716 of the unlawfully fired staff and is advocating for a larger compensation amount for all affected employees.

The TWU estimates that Qantas could owe over $100 million in total compensation due to the illegal sackings.

TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine criticized Qantas for undermining employee rights and emphasized the importance of accountability and fair compensation.

This case is part of a broader legal battle that began when the TWU first brought the issue to the Federal Court in 2020, and it is considered the largest instance of illegal sackings in Australia's corporate history.