The Fair Work Australia decision on Qantas : entrenching the imbalance of power between employees and employers?

Although it is unusual to see a case note written on a decision by Fair Work Australia (FWA), the recent decision by FWA on the disputes between Qantas and their employees was unusual as it was initiated by the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations (the Minister). On 29 October 2011 the Minister made an application to FWA to terminate or suspend industrial action at Qantas Airways Limited (Qantas). The decision is important as it has the potential to provide further encouragement to employers to use the tactic of locking out their employees and forcing them into binding arbitration rather than engaging in good faith bargaining.