FWA has this morning immediately terminated industrial action at Qantas for 21 day – extendable by a further three weeks – following hearings that went on until 2am this morning. The Full Bench decision followed on from the action of Qantas on Saturday to lockout its workforce and ground all its aircraft.
The dramatic action by Qantas was their response to ongoing protected industrial activity in support of pay increases and demands for job security – with Qantas being insistent that it giving into the demands for job security would adversely impact on its future ability to meet growing competition from carriers based offshore.
Workplace Relations Minister Senator Chris Evans asked FWA to terminate the industrial action under s.424 of the Fair Work Act and it was this application that was decided on this morning.
While the decision give the parties 21 days to reach an agreement, extendable by another 21 days if necessary, it is considered unlikely that the key demands for job security from the unions will be agreed to and the matter will then proceed to a binding arbitration by FWA – a move supported by Qantas.
Minister For Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs And Workplace Relations (31 October, 2011 – B2011/3816)
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