Qantas receives a monstrous $250,000 fine for illegal action against a worker

Embattled airline Qantas has been fined a quarter of a million dollars after being found guilty of illegally dismissing an employee in the early days of the Covid pandemic.

Judge David Russell of Downing Center District Court on Wednesday ordered the national airline to pay $250,000 for its actions against Theo Seremetidis.

The forklift driver was removed from his position at Qantas Ground Services in February 2020 after he instructed colleagues to stop performing unsafe work.

As an elected health and safety representative, Seremetidis was concerned about the risk of Covid exposure for employees cleaning planes coming from China.

Last year, Judge Russell said Qantas had engaged in “discriminatory conduct” when it breached workplace health and safety laws by dismissing Seremetidis.

“I believe that (Qantas) viewed Mr Seremetidis’ instructions to cease his employment as a threat to corporate conduct,” Judge Russell told the court.

“In particular, a threat to (Qantas)’s ability to clean and service aircraft and return them to the air.”

Last week, Qantas agreed to pay Seremetidis a sum of $21,000 for the financial loss and “pain and humiliation” he suffered as a result of the airline’s illegal action in 2020.

The court was previously told Seremetidis’ colleagues were unable to contact him over workplace safety concerns while he was removed from the Qantas ground team.

Seremetidis did not return to work and instead became one of 1,700 staff laid off during the pandemic and illegally replaced by outsourced staff.

Qantas’ lawyer Bruce Hodgkinson SC previously argued there was no precedent the judge could consider, just a maximum penalty of $500,000.

Hodgkinson accepted the decision to stand down Seremetidis was “wrong” and Qantas has since apologized, but said the move was the result of taking Covid concerns seriously.

Prosecutor Matthew Moir previously argued that Qantas should also pay a hefty fine, claiming the airline had prioritized its commercial interests over the safety of its employees.