12.36pm: The federal government is threatening to intervene in an industrial dispute at Qantas, warning trade unions they should not set out to damage local industry.
Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson, following his address to an industry conference in Canberra, said the sector's patience was running out with the unions. "The sooner the parties get in a room and sort it out the better," he told reporters. If they did not, the government could require the parties to resolve their issues under the umbrella of the Fair Work Act.
The Act already provided that, in exceptional circumstances, industrial action that had wider implications than for just one business can be suspended or terminated if it threatened significant damage to the economy or to the welfare or safety of the population, Mr Ferguson said.
He described as "un-Australian" comments by Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers association secretary Steve Purvinas urging people to boycott Qantas. They also were a sad reflection of his leadership. "You can have a dispute with employers but there is a responsibility on trade union leaders to never set out to damage Australian industry," Mr Ferguson said.