In August 2021, Holman Webb published an article highlighting the decision in Transport Workers Union of Australia v Qantas Airways Limited [2021] FCA 873, in which a single Judge of the Federal Court of Australia found that Qantas had engaged in adverse action in contravention of the Fair Work Act 2009, in deciding to make its ‘below the wing’ staff redundant.

Case Note: Transport Workers Union of Australia v Qantas Airways Limited 2021 FCA 873

The Trial Judge found that Qantas could not prove a negative - that the substantive and operative cause of the airline’s decision to make the staff redundant was not to prevent the workers exercising a workplace right. The workplace right was identified as the ability to negotiate a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement in the 6 months following the redundancy. 

Qantas appealed that decision, and the appeal has now been determined.  The Full Court of the Federal Court delivered its judgment in the matter of Qantas Airways Ltd v Transport Workers’ Union of Australia [2022] FCAFC 71 on 4 May 2022, dismissing the Appeal. 

In the lengthy Federal Court judgment in Transport Workers Union of Australia v Qantas Airways Limited 2021 FCA 873 delivered on 30 July 2021, Lee J found that Qantas took adverse action when it made over 2,000 workers redundant, and that the airline could not prove that its reasons for doing so were not prohibited by the Fair Work Act 2009. 

The consequences of the breach are yet to be determined.