Qantas CEO ordered into mediation with union to decide compensation for sacked workers

Vanessa Hudson and Transport Workers’ Union national secretary Michael Kaine to attend proceedings as penalties expected to run into hundreds of millions of dollars

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A federal court judge has ordered the new Qantas chief executive, Vanessa Hudson, to attend mediation proceedings with a union chief to settle compensation and penalty claims, with the bill for illegally outsourcing 1,700 workers potentially running into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

On Wednesday, legal representatives for Qantas and the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) told the federal court they were open to a mediation process to settle the final compensation stemming from their long-running legal battle. The airline ultimately lost the case last week when the high court unanimously upheld a full federal court decision for laying off staff at 10 airports in November 2020.

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