Qantas awaiting court decision on fine up to $121m
The federal court may soon hand down a hefty penalty to Qantas today in what would be the latest court blow for the nation’s largest airline, AAP reports.
Qantas outsourced its baggage handlers, cleaners and ground staff in 2020, in a move the court ruled was designed to curb union bargaining power in wage negotiations. The airline said in December it would pay $120m in compensation to more than 1800 people it illegally sacked.
The Transport Workers Union has since sought an additional penalty of $121m over the move to outsource those jobs, while Qantas has urged the court to impose a “mid-range” penalty between $40m and $80m.
The airline has argued the actions were a mistake, not a deliberate breach of the law.
Key events
Many e-bikes operating like ‘unregistered motorbikes’, new study of Melbourne delivery riders finds
Delivery riders on e-bikes caught speeding and riding the wrong way down city streets have triggered calls for tougher safety and compliance regulations, AAP reports.
Research published on Monday found widespread non-compliance among commercial delivery e-bikes across Melbourne. E-bike riders were recorded reaching speeds of up to 54kmh in some city hotspots, with almost one in five exceeding 25 kmh.
More than 27,000 vehicles were monitored in the study, with almost half being delivery worker e-bikes. Peter Jones, the chief of the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce, said:
This report confirms what riders, pedestrians, and other road users have suspected – many of these delivery e-bikes are operating as unregistered motorbikes, without the safeguards or enforcement that applies to other vehicles
Up update from our earlier post for Sydneysiders: The Anzac Bridge is back to normal after a crash snarled commuters this morning.
Chair of Productivity Commission optimistic about this week’s economic summit
Danielle Wood, the chair of the Productivity Commission, spoke to RN Breakfast this morning to say she’s optimistic the economic summit will be a catalyst for meaningful change. Wood said:
When I think about just the amount of productivity conversation we’ve had over the last month, I think it’s pretty extraordinary. But within that, I think the breadth of ideas coming forward really matter.
She was asked about the commission’s proposal to cut the company tax rate for all but the biggest businesses, an idea the government doesn’t seem thrilled by. Wood said:
Look, you know, governments will always have to make their own calls on hard decisions like tax. What we are trying to do is put some ideas out there about how you actually do reform, but you do it in a sensible way for the budget.
Read more here:
Gallagher says productivity roundtable will be ‘genuine meeting’ of all sectors
Finance minister Katy Gallagher said this morning the productivity roundtable, set to kick off tomorrow, will be a “genuine meeting” between different coalitions that will hopefully reach a consensus on ideas to boost productivity around the nation. Gallagher told RN Breakfast:
It is a genuine meeting of civil society, the union movement, industry leaders and government to look at some of these challenges we have got across our economy and see if there is areas of consensus and in the last couple of weeks with the coverage of the ideas and submissions that are coming forward to that meeting, there is no shortage of ideas.
She went on to point to the hope for “excellent” discussions around AI and an effort to figure out new ways to tackle the housing crisis.
Lambie says UN should send peacekeepers to distribute Gaza food aid
Josh Butler
The independent Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie says the United Nations should send peacekeepers into Gaza to help protect and distribute food, as Israel’s bombardment of Palestinians continues amid growing alarm over starvation and malnutrition.
Lambie made the call in an email to supporters overnight. She said it would be a “protective mission”:
The ‘blue helmets’ – as we call them in our militaries around the world- could be sent in with the sole job of securing food aid and making sure that it is distributed to the people who need it. To make this happen would require UN authorisation
Because this is a protection mission and not a peacekeeping or peace enforcement mission, the international community should have no hesitation in supporting it.
The senator said she would seek to take out advertising in newspapers and online calling for the move, with her email seeking donations for an ad push.
Children are starving, mothers are sobbing because they can’t feed their children, let alone themselves.
UN peacekeepers have a long history of assisting in humanitarian efforts, including providing security for the delivery of aid. If we are to ease the starvation of children in Gaza, we need blue helmets protecting those aid convoys.
Crash closes part of Sydney’s Anzac Bridge during morning commute
A crash between a car and a motorcycle on Sydney’s Anzac Bridge has snarled traffic during the Monday morning commute. Transport for NSW reports the crash took place just after 6.30am, with at two of four lanes closed into the city and one closed westbound.
The agency is cautioning there will be major delays this morning.
Good morning
Good morning and happy Monday. Nick Visser here as we dive into another week of news. Here’s what’s on deck:
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie says the UN should send peacekeepers into Gaza to help distribute food, saying the effort would be a “protective mission”. Lambie said because it would not be a peace enforcement mission, the international community should have “no hesitation” supporting it.
New research on e-bike safety found widespread non-compliance with regulations among commercial e-bike delivery across Melbourne. Some riders were recorded travelling far above speed limits, the wrong-way on streets and driving on footpaths in city hotspots.
Qantas will find out today if it will face a hefty fine for outsourcing baggage handling at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Transport Workers Union has urged a court to levy the maximum penalty of $121m, which would come on top of a $120m compensation payment it made to ground staff who lost their jobs.
Let’s get to it.
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