Naomi Neilson

The case concerns a former cleaner, Theo Seremeditis, who was terminated for instructing others not to work in February 2020. Qantas denies any wrondoing.

In August, Justice Katrina Banks-Smith dismissed an application brought by former Qantas customer services manager, Sara Rossi, who claimed she did not have the mental capacity when she entered a deed in 2008 to end her claim for compensation.

Appearing in the Federal Court on Thursday morning (12 October), Thomas Bagley, counsel for Piper Alderman, said the firm had spent six months investigating the major airline and could be prepared to file its own proceedings within the next fortnight.

It comes after the High Court unanimously upheld a ruling earlier this month that the Flying Kangaroo was wrong to sack the ground handlers during the pandemic and outsource the roles to external companies. 

The Full Court of the High Court of Australia unanimously dismissed Qantas’s final appeal, upholding the Federal Court’s original decision that the airline had breached the Fair Work Act 2009.

The five former employees, who are suing the airline over its COVID-19 vaccination policy, told the Federal Court they have been left without legal representation after their previous firm’s alleged misconduct, including negligence and a failure to take instructions.