Kelpie,
Stick to chasing sheep.
What do you not understand about:
1. The unions PIA was killing Qantas but not killing the national interest
PIA.
Pilots wearing red ties and making announcements over the PA inflight?
A total of 6 hours stoppage by TWU?
A total of a few hours by ALAEA? If that!
Olivia Wirth told the media QANTAS just can't switch off and switch on an airline during the disputes. AJ managed that quite well. Inconvenienced passengers worldwide, cost QANTAS many tens of millions of dollars, in addition to trashing the brand he accused the unions of doing
2. Joyce decided to invoke his only option, of PIA involving a lockout. This was enough to kill the national interest hence the govmint action and hence the FWA decision. Joyce agrees with that. That stops the killing of Qantas. The govmint and the unions didn't believe he'd do this and therefore were caught off guard hence the anger. The rest is a sideshow.
AJ could have applied to FWA himself instead of trying to get the government to step in and make a decision, and risk appeal for doing so. I'm no Gillard fan, but I believe she took the only option she had. She took it to FWA and let them make a decision.
Unfortunately clotted, the blood letting at QANTAS was started before the grounding of the airline. This was done by QANTAS management, not the unions. AJ started the death by a "tousand" cuts.
The management have brought nothing to the negotiating table, stonewalled the unions for what they tabled and accused them of making outrageous wage claims. They didn't make a counter offer to claims.
International losing money? Nothing has been substantiated about how the loss has come about other than a figure of $216million plucked out of someone's backside and said here are our figures. "Believe them. They're true. Honest."
If you want to believe the hype from team QF management and the tabloid papers, that's your prerogative.
Pleeeeeease clotted, get your facts right before regurgitating press releases from team QF management and the press.