Qantas chairman Goyder will have ‘nowhere to hide’ at inquiry
The Transport Workers Union says Qantas chairman Richard Goyder will have “nowhere to hide” at the upcoming Senate Inquiry into the national carrier, claiming the Qantas board has been in denial about the airline’s decision to sack workers being both illegal and damaging to safety, brand and customers.
The chairmen and chief executives of major airlines – including former Qantas boss Alan Joyce – have been called before the inquiry from September 26, but the committee is still negotiating the exact timing and format of their appearances.
Alan Joyce, Vanessa Hudson and Richard Goyder are all being called before the Senate. Rhett Wyman
Qantas chief legal counsel Andrew Finch told the TWU that the board was satisfied the airline’s management, led at the time by Mr Joyce, had appropriately managed the risks when it outsourced nearly 1700 workers after the airline was grounded in 2020 following the outbreak of the pandemic.
The union says the board subsequently ignored three further attempts from the TWU to discuss its growing concerns about a sharp deterioration in safety standards – which it linked to the decline in Qantas’ public reputation.
“The board is in denial. It’s been in denial for years. We put them on notice right at the start of all this, we warned them abut the consequences of all this for workers and for the travelling public. We’ve got Goyder coming to the Senate Inquiry and the questions will be put to him,” TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said on Sunday.
“For the first time, there will be nowhere to hide.”
Following the High Court decision last Wednesday which found Qantas’ sacking of 1683 ground staff was illegal, Mr Kaine said he was still waiting for chief executive Vanessa Hudson to contact the TWU
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