Warren Tredrea seeks $5.7m after Nine dismissal

Former Nine News sports presenter Warren Tredrea is seeking up to $5,775,000 after being fired by the network for refusing to comply with vaccination requirements.

Documents released by the Federal Court show Tredrea is claiming he was unlawfully dismissed from his position and should be paid out the remaining $176,458 of his contract and up to 30 years of pay for the missed opportunity of employment.

Tredrea took leave from the Adelaide station in December 2021 after Nine introduced a double-vaccination mandate for all employees. The Advertiser reports the time limit for him to comply with a direction was extended from October 2021 to January 4, 2022. After he did not comply he was fired on that day by letter from Jeremy Pudney, the News Director of Nine Adelaide.

“We are disappointed to see Warren leave but we wish him well,” Nine said publicly at the time.

In the court documents, Tredrea’s legal team claim there was no evidence the vaccines worked against the delta and omicron strains of the virus and also question the safety of the vaccines themselves. They claim that other measures, such as social distancing and improved hygiene would have kept the office as safe as vaccinations.

But Brendon Roberts KC, for Nine, told the court Nine’s case would say Covid restrictions were put in place by the Australian Government.

If the trial were to go ahead, it would see top scientists battle it out over whether Covid vaccines were effective.

Tredrea is claiming damages of breach of contract or, as an alternative, compensation as an independent contractor for loss of the remainder of his contract.

Mediation will now take place to avoid a trial, set down for February.