The agreement over Ansett workers’ entitlements proposed today in the Federal Court, if approved by the Court, represents a major achievement by the Ansett administrators, the ACTU and unions, who have now secured approximately $550 million out of $760 million owed to 15,000 former Ansett workers, said ACTU Secretary Greg Combet.

“This is good news for former Ansett workers” said Mr Combet.

“Ansett workers still owed money from the collapse of the airline will
receive another $150 million if today’s settlement of a long-running
dispute over superannuation funds is approved by the court,” he said.

To date workers have received an average payment of around 52 cents in the
dollar. The proposed release of further funds will raise this to 71 cents in the
dollar.

“If the agreement is approved, we are hopeful that thousands of Ansett
workers will receive their money by early in the New Year, and possibly as early
as Christmas,” Mr Combet said.

“This would represent a major breakthrough for the workers, although
many still hope to receive the full amount they are owed.”

The proposed agreement follows negotiations between the Howard Government,
the Ansett administrators, the Ansett Ground Staff Super Fund, and the ACTU. Mr
Combet acknowledged that an important factor in reaching agreement had been
compromise by the Government.

Mr Combet said the administrators and unions would now work to secure up to
85 cents in the dollar for workers, but that would depend on the sale of
aircraft which could take at least two years.

“The ACTU will continue to campaign for workers to receive all they are
owed. If the Government makes a profit from the Ansett ticket tax, we will
continue to argue that this should be paid to Ansett workers,” said Mr
Combet.