Money

“Sickening” – Qantas charged over major COVID safety failure

Published

4 years ago

October 19, 2021

Australia’s national carrier has been charged with workplace breaches after a cleaner raised concerns with aircraft coming from China during the early months of the pandemic

Qantas has been charged with breaches of the New South Wales Work Health and Safety Act after standing down an employee who raised concerns about the exposure of workers to COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic, back in 2020.

SafeWork New South Wales confirmed on Tuesday that it filed the charges in the District Court of NSW against Qantas Ground Services on October 6, 2021.

“The charges relate to QGS standing down a worker who raised concerns about potential exposure of workers to COVID-19 while cleaning aircraft in early 2020.”

The Australian Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) confirmed the worker involved is Theo Seremetidis, a health and safety representative who allegedly advised colleagues to stop cleaning planes arriving from China in early 2020 due to the risk of COVID-19 exposure.

It is understood that Mr Seremetidis was directed by Qantas not to return to work on February 7, 2020, and was stood down on March 30 in line with the 20,000-plus other employees as a result of the pandemic and border closures.

Reports state Qantas has reiterated a previously released statement, claiming that Mr Seremetidis was stood down for telling colleagues to take part in stop-work action without a reasonable basis to do so.”

Mr Seremetidis was directed not to come to work while he was investigated for failing to comply with our Standards of Conduct policy including allegations of attempting to incite unprotected industrial action,” a spokesperson for Qantas said.

“It’s worth noting that there was not a single positive COVID case carried on our flights back from China.”
Qantas said.

Transport Workers Union NSW State Secretary Richard Olsen says that the regulator’s decision to prosecute the Australian airline was a landmark moment for work health and safety across Australia.

Each charge – the exact number of which is not known – carries a maximum penalty of $594,021 if found guilty.

Money

Australia’s inflation hits 3.8%: Budget decisions under pressure

Australia’s inflation hits 3.8%, raising concerns for households; Dr. Enticott discusses implications for everyday Australians and economic planning.

Published

23 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Australia’s inflation hits 3.8%, raising concerns for households; Dr. Enticott discusses implications for everyday Australians and economic planning.

Australia’s inflation has surged to 3.8%, sparking concern for households and businesses. Experts warn that rising prices could threaten financial stability if the government does not act in the upcoming budget.

Dr Steven Enticott from CIA Tax joins Ticker to break down what this inflation spike means for everyday Australians. He also explains why inflation above the Reserve Bank’s target band is particularly significant and how it affects economic planning.

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#AustraliaInflation #EconomicUpdate #Budget2026 #RBA #FinancialNews #BusinessImpact #HouseholdCosts #TickerNews

Money

Wall Street gains momentum amid tech and earnings surge

U.S. stocks rose Monday, driven by Oracle gains, as investors overlooked recent silver and bitcoin losses ahead of earnings week.

Published

1 day ago

February 3, 2026

Harvey Vargas

U.S. stocks rose Monday, driven by Oracle gains, as investors overlooked recent silver and bitcoin losses ahead of earnings week.

U.S. equities climbed on Monday as Wall Street kicked off a new month of trading. Investors looked past recent losses in silver and bitcoin, with optimism returning to major indices. The S&P 500 rose 0.7%, led by gains in Oracle shares following the company’s announcement to raise up to £50 billion for cloud capacity.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 501 points, while the Nasdaq Composite increased 0.9%. Analysts note that the broader market is showing resilience despite mixed signals from tech and commodities.

More than 100 S&P 500 companies are expected to report earnings this week. Strong growth is predicted, even as some high-profile sell-offs continue to make headlines.

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Money

U.S. dollar weakens while Australian dollar rises amid global market shifts

Published

5 days ago

January 30, 2026

Harvey Vargas

US dollar weakens as Trump comments; Australian dollar gains from commodity prices and RBA rate hike expectations

The US dollar is coming under pressure as the economy remains strong and President Trump comments on its decline. We explore how this is impacting major currencies around the world and what it means for investors.

Meanwhile, the Australian dollar is benefiting from rising commodity prices and growing expectations of an RBA rate hike. Global investors are increasingly drawn to Australia’s bond market as economic conditions shift.

Currency trading strategies are adapting to this changing landscape, with potential implications for interest rates and international markets. Steve Gopalan from SkandaFX breaks down the trends.

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#USDDollar #AustralianDollar #ForexTrading #RBA #InterestRates #GlobalEconomy #CurrencyMarket #Ticker