The Federal Government should use the proceeds of the airline passenger ticket levy to immediately pay former Ansett employees the $212 million in entitlements they are owed says the ACTU.

Commenting in advance of a meeting of former Ansett workers in Cronulla (NSW)
tomorrow, ACTU spokesperson Richard Watts said:

“The Federal Government raised more than $280 million for former Ansett
employees by charging airline passengers a $10 ticket levy from 1 October 2001
to 30 June 2003.

There are no excuses for the Government to hold on to this money while former
Ansett workers are still waiting for their entitlements to be paid.

The ACTU calls on the Federal Transport Minister John Anderson to hand over
the proceeds of the Ansett ticket tax.

Ansett airline collapsed in September 2001 leaving 16,500 employees without
jobs and owed $760 million in entitlements.

Former Ansett employees have received $549 million to date – leaving them
short-changed by $212 million.

The administrators of Ansett, Korda / Mentha have stated that they will not
be able to pay former Ansett workers any more of their entitlements until March
2005.

This means that unless the Government decides to release some more of the
ticket tax proceeds, former Ansett employees and their families will be put
under considerable financial pressure during the Christmas period.

After taking into account the money recovered by the Ansett administrators,
it now appears likely that the Federal Government will make a profit out of the
Ansett ticket tax.

Former Ansett workers will be meeting in Sydney this weekend to call on the
Federal Government to pass on the money collected from the flying public for
them and their families.”

Meeting of Former Ansett Employees to Discuss Unpaid Entitlements
10:00am
Saturday 27^th November 2004
Cronulla RSL – 38 Gerrale Street,
Cronulla NSW