“Sickening” – Qantas charged over major COVID safety failure

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 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.

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.