Senator rips into Qantas amid the airline’s huge profit

A government Senator has ripped into Qantas and CEO Alan Joyce amid the airline’s huge profit announcement

NSW Labor Senator Tony Sheldon has laid into Qantas and chief executive officer Alan Joyce amid the airline’s huge profit announcement, describing it as “nothing to celebrate”.

On Thursday, Qantas revealed an underlying profit before tax of $1.43 billion and a statutory profit after tax of $1 billion.

“Qantas making massive profits by illegally sacking thousands of workers and ripping off customers with extortionate airfares during a cost-of-living crisis is nothing to celebrate,” Senator Sheldon claimed in a series of fiery tweets.

“The ‘Spirit of Australia’ should not be about making a sly buck at everyone else’s expense.”

His comments come as the airline posted a billion-dollar half-year profit, dramatically turning around its fortunes from a $456 million loss for the same period a year earlier.

Senator Sheldon’s scathing attack also comes as the airline was given the green light to fight a court ruling that its sacking of about 1700 ground crew workers during the Covid-19 pandemic was illegal.

“Thanks Senator for the support and giving us sacked workers a voice. It’s been two years this week since Qantas illegally sacked me from a job I loved and gave 10 years service. It’s been a struggle the last two years but thanks for the voice,” one person wrote on Twitter.

Qantas making massive profits by illegally sacking thousands of workers and ripping off customers with extortionate airfares during a cost-of-living crisis is nothing to celebrate.

The ‘Spirit of Australia’ should not be about making a sly buck at everyone else’s expense.

— Senator Tony Sheldon (@senator_sheldon) February 22, 2023

A Qantas spokesperson described the Senator’s claims as “simply false”.

“We are proposing to move a group of our employees into our management framework, which would be a better fit for the work they do, and is consistent with what many of them have requested,” they said.

“They will receive 3 per cent annual pay rises, retain key entitlements and, importantly, would have the opportunity to receive annual bonuses for the first time,” the spokesperson said.

“All shift workers will retain overtime payments; claims otherwise are simply wrong.”

On Thursday, following the airline’s huge profit announcement, CEO Alan Joyce said they will give 20,000 non-executive staff travel credit of $500 and bonuses of up to $11,500 in cash and shares.

“Our people have been absolutely central to our recovery and that’s why we’re so pleased to be in a position to reward them with up to $11,500 in cash and shares, and why we’ve given them another $500 staff travel credit today,” he said.

“Returning to profit means we can get back to reinvesting for our customers, which is clear from the network, fleet and lounge announcements we’ve made, and from the Project Sunrise cabins we’re previewing. Importantly for our investors, this also sets us up to deliver long term shareholder value.”

Labor Senator Tony Sheldon has slammed Qantas. Picture: Jeremy Piper/NCA NewsWire

In November, the High Court granted the national carrier special leave to appeal against rulings from both the Federal Court and Full Federal Court that the outsourcing was unlawful.

Qantas outsourced baggage handlers, ramp workers and cabin cleaners in late 2020 at a time when thousands of other staff were stood down and much of its fleet was grounded due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The TWU launched legal proceedings in the Federal Court against the airline over the outsourcing decision and won a partial victory in July 2021.

The Federal Court found the outsourcing was partially motivated by a desire to avoid future industrial action, in breach of the Fair Work Act, given many of the sacked workers were union members with stronger bargaining capability.

He said the airline had ‘nothing to celebrate’ amid its $1 billion profit. Picture: Jeremy Piper/NCA NewsWire

At the same time, Senator Sheldon again unleashed on the airline amid overtime payments with his comments rejected by Qantas.

“These are workers who, when somebody is stranded, they turn around and work the extra hours,” he said.

“They’ll do that whether they’re on overtime payments or on their salary payments.

“The difference is Alan Joyce doesn’t want to pay them and that’s part of his war on the middle class of this country,” he told reporters outside Parliament House.

Senator Sheldon, who also called for Mr Joyce to resign, said it was an “orchestrated approach” by the business.

“Pay the overtime, respect your workforce and respect the Australians working hard for your company,” he said.