Qantas to fly again after Fair Work terminates dispute

Updated

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Fair Work Australia ends Qantas industrial action (ABC News)

Qantas management has been told to get its aircraft back in the sky and drop its plans to lock out its workforce tonight.

Early this morning the workplace umpire put a stop to all industrial action by the airline and unions, saying it was acting to prevent significant damage to the tourism and airline industries.

The decision by the full bench of Fair Work Australia (FWA) was handed down just after 2:00am AEDT after a marathon 15-hour hearing in Melbourne.

The airline says it should have its planes back in the sky by this afternoon if it gets the go-ahead from the safety regulator.

"The likelihood is we'll have our first positioning flight at 12:25pm today and our first commercial flights by 2:00pm this afternoon," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said this morning.

Qantas situation at a glance: Fair Work Australia (FWA) rules to terminate Qantas industrial action

Qantas to resume flights from mid afternoon on Monday

Backlog could take at least 24 hours to clear

All domestic and international flights were grounded on Saturday

Lockout of staff was to commence Monday morning

Qantas says 68,000 passengers affected worldwide

447 flights were cancelled worldwide

Qantas is organising alternative flights and accommodation for stranded passengers, and refunds for people yet to travel.

The Federal Government was only informed of Qantas' plan hours before it was announced.

Hotline for affected Qantas passengers: 13 13 13

Qantas updating passengers via its website, Facebook and Twitter

QantasLink and Jetstar are continuing to operate flights

"The schedule will ramp up and hopefully we'll be back to a full schedule tomorrow."

All Qantas planes were grounded on Saturday, leaving nearly 70,000 passengers stranded in 22 countries, and the airline had been threatening to lock out all employees from tonight.

The ruling means all parties have 21 days to negotiate a settlement to the dispute.

Read more about what caused the Qantas dispute.

While Qantas can no longer lock out its workers, the unions have been restricted in what they can do.

They wanted only a temporary suspension of industrial action, but that was rejected by Fair Work Australia.

In handing down the decision after two hours of deliberation, the tribunal said the temporary suspension sought by the three unions would not have provided enough certainty for the industry.

Qantas had argued against a suspension, saying that it would not guarantee the airline would run again as long as industrial bargaining continued.

This is the first time in Australia's history that a company has had to be brought to task after it's blackmailed the entire Australian community and 80,000 passengers around the world. TWU national secretary Tony Sheldon

The national secretary of the Transport Workers Union, Tony Sheldon, says Qantas used the threat of more chaos to get its own way.

"This is the first time in Australia's history that a company has had to be brought to task after it's blackmailed the entire Australian community and 80,000 passengers around the world," he said.

"The Government stepped in; it is the first in my knowledge in our history of this country.

"The decision today is a slap in the face to Qantas. They're now forced to put their airline back in the air after this despicable action, grounding so many planes, so many hopes for so many people across the world."

Qantas says the decision has provided certainty for its passengers.

In a statement, Mr Joyce apologised to all customers affected by the dispute.

He said some flights could be back up and running this afternoon if the safety regulator gives the go ahead.

The deadlock has already affected more than 68,000 passengers worldwide and there were fears a failure to get planes back in the air quickly would damage the national economy.

The Federal Government had applied to the industrial umpire for the termination or suspension of industrial disputes between Qantas and three unions - Australian Licensed Engineers Union (ALAEA), the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and the Australian and International Pilots Union (AIPA).

We are pleased after 24 hours of turmoil, common sense was restored. Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten

The FWA tribunal, headed by Justice Geoffrey Giudice, found there was significant uncertainty arising from the protected action of the unions but in particular from the Qantas employee lockout and grounding of the fleet.

"We should do what we can to avoid significant damage to the tourism industry," Justice Giudice said.

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Qantas passengers stranded in Thailand (ABC News)

In a press conference after the decision was handed down, Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten said the Government was pleased with the decision.

"We are pleased after 24 hours of turmoil, common sense was restored," he told reporters.

"We believe now that Qantas and the unions will focus on getting flying as soon as they can."

ACTU secretary Jeff Lawrence also responded to the ruling, calling for the Federal Government to ensure Qantas fulfilled its obligations.

"We'll be working to make sure that those planes are in the air as soon as possible and that Qantas remains a good and viable airline that provides good jobs for Australian workers," he said.

"Fair Work Australia has recognised that it's the actions of Qantas that has the potential to cause harm to the Australian economy."

Qantas said it was losing $15 million per week due to months of strikes and other industrial action by unions.

Qantas says 447 flights have been cancelled, with furious passengers in major cities around the world vowing never to fly with Qantas again.

Mr Joyce, who ordered the lockout, made it clear he would not put his planes back in the air unless he had the "certainty" of a termination, not a suspension, of all industrial action.

But the Australian International Pilots Association's Captain Richard Woodward has warned that restarting the Qantas network will be a huge logistical challenge.

"We have got aeroplanes and crews all over the world," he said.

"They can start and fly back, and then the aeroplanes in Australia will have to be rostered to fly and move out from their destinations.

"So it is sort of like starting a giant network. You turn the switch on and then everything will start going from various places and different directions."

ABC/wires

Topics: air-transport, industry, business-economics-and-finance, company-news, industrial-relations, government-and-politics, lifestyle-and-leisure, travel-and-tourism, australia

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