Ansett staff payments delayed
AAP
Ansett staff payments delayed
By Barbara Adam
December 02, 2002
ENTITLEMENTS of former Ansett staff have been withheld by administrators of the failed airline because of an ongoing legal battle.
The Victorian Supreme Court has yet to resolve a fight between Ansett administrators and a staff superannuation fund, even though hearings finished in September.
The Australian Services Union (ASU) said today the administrators would not release the next staff dividend payment of five cents in the dollar until a decision in the court case was announced.
Ansett's 16,000 former staff stand to receive between 74 and 92 per cent of their entitlements, due to be paid in instalments as the administrators sell off the airline's assets.
At the last creditors' meeting in September, former Ansett staff were warned their entitlements could be substantially reduced and delayed by the legal challenge from the Ansett Ground Staff Superannuation Fund.
ASU assistant national secretary Linda White said former Ansett staff were becoming increasingly anxious about their next dividend.
"You can imagine, coming up to Christmas, people are hanging out for their instalment," Ms White told AAP.
"But the administrators have held up the payment because they've got a potential liability of a further $200 million (from the court case).
"The judge was told by the ACTU and the administrators how important a quick decision was to the former Ansett staff waiting for entitlements. We can only hope the decision is made before Christmas."
Ms White said the administrators had assured the ASU there would be little delay in paying the next staff dividend if the superannuation trustees lost their case.
Despite the assurance, Ms White said the administrators were not fulfilling their promise to regularly update staff on developments.
"We have asked the administrators to issue a bulletin but we are still waiting," she said.
Ms White said the ASU had been told by the Ansett committee of creditors that the sale of the airline's former Melbourne headquarters was settled late last month for more than $30 million, Qantas had been named the preferred bidder for Ansett's Melbourne engine shop and Ansett Australia brand and trademarks were to be put to tender over the next few weeks.
Ansett administrators were not immediately available for comment.
AAP