The union bid to be paid more than $100 million in fines by Qantas for the airline’s illegal sacking of 1800 ground staff could spur a wave of union litigation against large companies, raising employer fears of prolonged and speculative court actions.
In Federal Court hearings this week the Transport Workers Union pushed for the maximum penalty of $121 million to be imposed on Qantas while the airline called for a mid-range penalty of between $40 million and $80 million.
Max Mason covers financial crime, courts and corporate wrongdoing. A Walkley Award winner, Max’s journalism has also received awards from the National Press Club of Australia, the Kennedy Awards and Citibank. Message Max on Signal https://tinyurl.com/MaxMason Connect with Max on Twitter. Email Max at max.mason@afr.com
