|
||||
| Abbott wants PM to end Qantas saga now |
| News - Local |
|
Prime Minister Julia Gillard should act to end the dispute between Qantas management and unions immediately by using powers available to her, the opposition says. Responding to emergency Fair Work Australia (FWA) hearings being held on Sunday in Melbourne at the request of the government after Qantas grounded all of its aircraft, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott called on Ms Gillard to terminate the bargaining period. "The PM says she wants the industrial action to be over. She can end it, if she's prepared to use the powers available to the government under section 431 of the Fair Work Act, and I call upon her to do so immediately," Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra.
The FWA hearing, which began at 2pm (AEDT) on Sunday, is determining whether Qantas acted legally when it grounded its entire fleet on Saturday night. "This dispute should never have got to this," Mr Abbott said. "It only got to this stage because of a lack of leadership by the prime minister. "It could be ended tonight, if the prime minister showed the leadership that the nation expects of her." Mr Abbott claimed the federal government knew Qantas CEO Alan Joyce intended to ground all of the airline's aircraft before the radical action was taken. "The government had at least three hours' notice yesterday," he said. "If it was serious about ending this terrible inconvenience to the public, it would have acted yesterday, between 2pm and 5pm (AEDT) in the afternoon." 30th October 2011 Source: SMH |