QANTAS Executive Manager, Industrial Relations Ms. Sue Bussell in a letter to Australian and International Pilots Association dated Friday 14 October 2011 writes
“Qantas again requests that AIPA withdraw its AOEC (Qantas Flight, Qantas Pilot) claim and make the related consequential amendments to other claims….. In the absence of AIPA doing so, Qantas sees no value in further conferences before FWA”
On the 19th October the Queen arrived in Australia for an eleven day tour.
On 29th October Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth departed Perth to return to the UK and immediately Joyce grounds QANTAS and says the decision was only made on that day and that it was the only option available.
Would QANTAS board member General P.J. Cosgrove AC, MC give his vote to lock out the staff and ground the fleet, while HRH was in country?
Perhaps the decision to lock out employees and ground the airline really was made on the 14 October in line with the Bussell letter and delayed until after the Queens departure.
The QANTAS board meeting on the morning of the 29th October was probably just to confirm if they were really going ahead with the pre-planned scheme, having had the 'snout trough' filled to capacity, at the previous days AGM.