AE Smith & Sons Pty Ltd

[2018] FWCA 416

[2018] FWCA 416

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION

Fair Work Act 2009
s.225 - Application for termination of an enterprise agreement after its nominal expiry date

AE Smith & Sons Pty Ltd
(AG2018/93)

AE SMITH & SON (SEQ) PTY LTD AND AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS UNION COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT 2012

Building, metal and civil construction industries
COMMISSIONER HUNT	BRISBANE, 23 JANUARY 2018

Application for termination of the AE Smith & Son (SEQ) Pty Ltd and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Collective Agreement 2012.

[1] On 11 January 2018 AE Smith & Son (SEQ) Pty Ltd (the Employer) made an application pursuant to s.225 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act) to terminate the AE Smith & Son (SEQ) Pty Ltd and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Collective Agreement 2012 (the Agreement). The Agreement has passed its nominal expiry date.

[2] The application was accompanied by a statutory declaration in support of the termination, declared by Mark Jeffrey Lovelady, General Manager. The statutory declaration stated, amongst other things, that there are no employees who are covered by the Agreement.

[3] The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) is an employee organisation covered by the Agreement. Communication was issued from my Chambers to the AMWU to seek their views on the Application. The Union advised it does not object to the termination of the Agreement.

[4] Section 226 of the Act sets out the conditions which must be met for an agreement to be terminated pursuant to s.225 of the Act. Section 226 of the Act provides as follows:

“226 When the FWC must terminate an enterprise agreement

If an application for the termination of an enterprise agreement is made under section 225, the FWC must terminate the agreement if:

(a) the FWC is satisfied that it is not contrary to the public interest to do so; and

(b) the FWC considers that it is appropriate to terminate the agreement taking into account all the circumstances including:

(i) the views of the employees, each employer, and each employee organisation (if any), covered by the agreement; and

(ii) the circumstances of those employees, employers and organisations including the likely effect that the termination will have on each of them.”

Consideration

[5] Based on the material contained in the statutory declaration filed with the application, in consideration of s.226(a), I am satisfied that the termination of the Agreement is not contrary to the public interest. There is nothing before me which raises public interest considerations which might weigh against the termination of the Agreement.

[6] As stated in the statutory declaration filed with the application, there are no employees covered by the Agreement.

[7] In consideration of the material before me relevant to s.226(b)(i) and (ii), I consider that it is appropriate to terminate the Agreement.

[8] In accordance with s.226, I must terminate the Agreement. The application to terminate the Agreement is approved.

[9] The termination will take effect from today, 23 January 2018.

COMMISSIONER

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