INDEPENDENT senator Nick Xenophon says a special inquiry may be needed to resolve the industrial dispute between Qantas and three of its unions.
The South Australian senator said the inquiry should have the powers of a royal commission.
"These actions by Qantas management are just extraordinary," he said on ABC Radio today.
"It has implications going well beyond an industrial dispute. It has national interest implications."
He claimed Fair Work Australia did not have the jurisdiction to delve into the issues at the core of the dispute, including claims by Qantas management its international operations were losing money.
Any further industrial action should be suspended, he added, pending the outcome of a judicial inquiry.
Hear! Hear!