Qantas recognises gay
marriage
From
dailytelegraph.news.com.au on the Web, May 31, 2006
A GAY employee has won a
long-running dispute with Qantas to recognise his same-sex marriage in Canada.
Qantas had refused to update the staff member's marital status on his employee
records because the union was not between a man and a woman.
But the airline backed down after it received an email from former Chief Justice
of the Family Court, Alastair Nicholson, endorsing the validity of the marriage.
In March 2005, Qantas wrote to the employee stating: "We are unable to
approve your marital status in eQHR (employee records) as married because
Australian law does not recognise same-sex marriages."
The employee referred the matter to Mr Nicholson who lent his support in an
email that was later forwarded to Qantas.
"There is nothing to stop a private employer permitting your husband to be
described as your spouse on its documentation and I can see no legal impediment
to it doing so," Mr Nicholson said in the email.
"Indeed it would, in my view, be an appropriate step for it to take."
Five days ago, Qantas executive general manager of people, Kevin Brown,
responded to the employee: "Qantas is willing to recognise you ... as
married and will record your status as married. Qantas will treat you and
your family in the same manner as it treats all married staff."
The employee's records were updated once Qantas sighted his Canadian marriage
certificate.
Australian Marriage Equality (AME) congratulated Qantas for changing its policy
on gay marriage.
"Many employers already, no doubt, recognise their employee's same-sex
marriages", AME national secretary Glenn Limond said.
"But this policy change is worth noting. Qantas is not only a very large
employer, with over 30,000 staff, but is also an Australian icon".
AAP
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