Qantas to pay $120m to more than 1,800 baggage handlers illegally sacked during pandemic

Level of compensation – and looming penalties – mean cost of airline’s outsourcing saga has ballooned past budgeted figure

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Qantas will pay $120m in compensation to 1820 baggage handlers the airline illegally sacked in 2020 as the full cost of its controversial outsourcing decision continues to grow.

On Tuesday, Qantas and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) announced they had finally reached an agreement over the payout, following a years-long legal battle that included the airline appealing the initial decision to the full bench of the federal court and later the high court – both of which were unsuccessful.