Ansett staff left waiting for compensation after ticket levy funds spent on security - report

Airline Industry Information, Nov 15, 2004

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Staff of the former Australian airline Ansett which collapsed in September 2001 are reportedly still waiting for redundancy entitlements that they expected to be paid from a ticket levy.

The AUD100m raised by the ticket levy was said to be earmarked for staff payments but instead has largely been used to pay for aviation security measures. A spokesperson for the Australian Transport Minister said that 13,000 former Ansett staff had been compensated and that the government had said that any surplus from the levy would be put into the tourism and travel sector.

AUD93m from the levy was apparently spent on aviation security by the government despite claims by some staff that they are owed up to AUD100,000 and have not received anything from the levy. A spokesperson for the Australian Council of Trade Unions said that the government was profiting from Ansett workers' misfortune and that people are wondering where the money from the sale of aircraft and assets has gone, reports Travelbiz.com.au.

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