The Transport Workers' Union has accused the competition regulator of incompetence in its consideration of the proposed alliance between Qantas and Emirates, as it called for a government inquiry.
Speaking in the aftermath of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission conference to examine the impact of the tie-up, TWU national secretary, Tony Sheldon, dismissed the proceedings as "nothing more than a talking shop"
"During the one and a half hour hearing, the ACCC revealed that in their opinion an investigation into the impact of the proposed alliance on Australian employment did not warrant the resources," he said.
"Further to this, the ACCC admitted that they did not carry out any forensic investigation into claims made by Qantas that the international division is in terminal decline.”
Sheldon branded the ACCC as "both incapable and incompetent" and called on the governent to establish a national inquiry into the future of Australian aviation, insisting "tens of thousands" of Australian aviation jobs were at stake.
The ACCC granted interim authorisation to the proposed tie-up earlier this month, allowing both carriers to begin implementing joint strategies for sales, marketing and pricing. Tickets for their combined network are now on sale.
