An Australian court has fined airline giant Qantas A$90m (£43m; $59m) for illegally sacking some 1,700 ground workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Australia's Transport Workers' Union said it welcomed the ruling, which it said marked the largest employer penalty in the country's history.
Federal Court Justice Michael Lee said in the judgement that he wanted the fine to act as a "real deterrence" to other employers.
The BBC has contacted Qantas for comment.
Australia's biggest airline has faced a years-long legal battle over its decision in 2020 to outsource its ground operations staff, which it said was a necessary financial measure as the aviation industry came to a standstill during the pandemic.
