The decision to lock-out striking Qantas employees in October 2011, which led to the grounding of the airline’s entire fleet, was taken “on the day”, the carrier has reiterated.
Qantas has always stated that the drastic decision was taken at late notice, but unions have questioned this, alleging that the airline had been planning the action for several weeks.
In a statement on Friday however, Qantas’ Group Executive for Government & Corporate Affairs, Olivia Wirth said that while it had been considering the action, the actual decision to go ahead with the lock-out was not made until 29 October 2011 – the day the action started.
“Qantas was considering a range of options to deal with the unsustainable situation of three unions taking damaging industrial action including a strike by thousands of Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) workers the day before the announcement of the lock-out,” Ms Wirth said.
“Qantas had always known a lock-out was an option because it’s the only form of industrial action an employer can take under the legislation but a range of options were under consideration and the decision was not made until the day,” she added.
The statement was in retaliation to a claim by the TWU’s National Secretary Tony Sheldon who claimed that evidence given by Qantas’ Chief Financial Officer Gareth Evans at the Fair Work Australia arbitration case contradicted comments made by Qantas’ Group CEP Alan Joyce at a Senate Committee in November.
The Qantas lock-out followed months of industrial action by three unions, including the TWU, which Qantas claimed was cost it AU$68 million (US$66 million).
