Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the industrial umpire made the right decision to terminate industrial action in the Qantas dispute.
She's told ABC Radio some industrial disputes in this country have lasted months and for the Qantas industrial dispute to be resolved by Monday after the airline's fleet was grounded on Saturday shows that Fair Work did the right thing.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has repeatedly argued that Ms Gillard should have used a ministerial power within the Fair Work Act to prevent 48 hours of airport chaos.
The opposition, meanwhile, has used more reported cabinet leaks to argue senior government ministers lack confidence in Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Ministers disagreed about how the Qantas industrial dispute should be handled with some suggesting the government could have acted more swiftly, News Limited newspapers said on Tuesday.
Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten are believed to have argued for immediate government intervention following a decision by Qantas to ground its fleet on Saturday.
Instead, Ms Gillard settled on making an application to Fair Work Australia which subsequently terminated industrial action at the airline.
