Qantas fined for illegally sacking worker over COVID-19 concerns

Theo Seremetidis was a truck driver and health and safety representative with Qantas Ground Services working at Sydney Airport in February 2020.

He raised concerns about workers being exposed to COVID-19 and directed staff to stop cleaning and servicing aircraft arriving from China.

The airline stood down Mr Seremetidis and in October 2021 SafeWork NSW charged Qantas with discriminatory conduct.

The NSW District Court found Qantas guilty in November 2023 and handed down the sentence on March 6.

Qantas has been ordered to pay $250,000 for the breach of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

In a statement Qantas said it accepted the penalty and had also agreed to paying $21,000 in compensation to Mr Seremetidis.

"We acknowledged in court the impact that this incident had on Mr Seremetidis and apologised to him," the statement said.

"Safety has always been our number one priority and we continue to encourage our employees to report all safety related matters."

Speaking outside court in November 2023 when Qantas was found guilty, Mr Seremetidis said he had experienced months of anxiety and depression due to the case.

"I was doing what I thought was the right thing and that was being punished for it because it didn't suit the company," he said.

"And they were willing to punish someone rather than actually rectify the issue."

NSW work health and safety minister Sophie Cotsis said the case stood as a warning to all employers, "not to discriminate against their health and safety reps".

"Given this was a first-of-its-kind case the New South Wales Government will take time to review the outcome," she said.

The charge against Qantas was the first ever filed by SafeWork NSW under the specific section of the Act.

In 2023 Australia's consumer watchdog, the ACCC, launched court action against Qantas for allegedly selling tickets to flights the airline had already been cancelled.