Former Qantas engineer awarded $70,000 compensation
A former Qantas aircraft engineer has been awarded more than $70,000 in damages after what was reported in court as years of racial abuse from Qantas colleagues and superiors.
The Court heard that William Gama, 61, was subjected to taunts by co-workers because of his “black” appearance, with Mr Gama, who was born in India and emigrated to Australia in 1982, suing Qantas in the Federal Magistrates Court for breaches of the Race Discrimination Act, successfully claiming he had missed out on training and offers of promotion. He also claimed management had failed to respond to his complaints of racial taunts.
Mr Gama started work with Qantas in 1984, but in 2002 he allegedly entered a “deep depression” and could not continue work. He said that during his time with the airline he was likened to “a monkey” by a colleague, called a “Bombay taxi driver” and referred to as a “nigger in the woods”.
He told the court that throughout his employment in the maintenance hangar, the words “black Willie” were often scrawled on the bathroom wall and also that co-workers photocopied a blank sheet of paper so it “came out black” before holding it up and telling him: “Willie, here is your photograph – what a strong resemblance.”
Mr Gama had sought $3 million but Qantas was ordered to pay him $71,692.70.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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