Qantas workers suffered depression after being illegally sacked, compensation hearing told

Former Qantas employees were prescribed medication to deal with depression and anxiety after being illegally sacked, a court has heard, as the airline faces a mammoth compensation bill over the saga. Compensation hearings began on Monday to resolve the legal battle between the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and the airline over its pandemic-induced decision to outsource almost 1,700 ground handler jobs in late 2020 – a move the federal court found to be illegal as it acted against protections in the Fair Work Act and was in part driven by a desire to avoid industrial action. Qantas appealed the decision to the full bench of the court and later the high court, both of which were unsuccessful, with the matter now returning to the federal court to determine compensation and penalties for the airline must pay. The court heard on Monday some of the workers suffered significant psychological distress after losing their jobs and had to take medication to cope. One worker was taking four Valiums a day, the court heard, while another was prescribed antidepressants. A court previously found Qantas contravened the Fair Work Act by its decision to outsource the roles of almost 1700 ground staff at 10 Australian airports in late 2020. The airline fought the case all the way to the high court, but lost its appeal in September. Qantas previously claimed the outsourcing would save more than $100m a year to help cope with the impact of the pandemic on air travel. The court will hear three test cases of retrenched workers to help determine an appropriate level of financial compensation. Affidavits from the three former workers were the subject of legal arguments on Monday.<br/>