Welcome to the real world of the incompetent, inept, indecisive, unwilling and unable to decide anything for themselves. This applies to both management and government who are more than willing to pass the buck to someone else so they don't have to make the decision and then be blamed for making what appears to be the wrong one.
It's all about "independent" arbitration and rulings, and the parties "abiding" by those independent decisions.
Was Joyce wrong in what he did grounding the airline? You bet.
Was Gillard wrong in forcing the matter to FWA? You bet. She only acted as it was an embarrasment for her that the airline was grounded when the CHOGM meeting was being held in Perth and many of the international delegates were booked on QANTAS flights that weekend, and the Melbourne Cup was approaching the following Tuesday.