Agnew Legal Pty Ltd

Case [2013] FWCA 9079


[2013] FWCA 9079

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION


Fair Work Act 2009

s.185 - Application for approval of a single-enterprise agreement

Agnew Legal Pty Ltd
(AG2013/9609)

AK & GSJ PTY LTD AND GSJ & AKS PTY LTD - ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT 2013

Fast food industry

COMMISSIONER BULL

SYDNEY, 19 NOVEMBER 2013

Application for approval of the AK & GSJ Pty Ltd and GSJ & AKS Pty Ltd - Enterprise Agreement 2013.

[1] An application has been made for approval of an enterprise agreement known as the AK & GSJ Pty Ltd and GSJ & AKS Pty Ltd - Enterprise Agreement 2013 (the Agreement). The application was made pursuant to s.185 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act). The Agreement is a single-enterprise agreement.

[2] On 6 November 2013, the Commissioner sent correspondence to the Applicant via its legal representative noting that the Agreement did not provide a meal allowance or a special clothing allowance as does the Fast Food Industry Award 2010, being the relevant modern award for the purposes of the better off overall test.

[3] Correspondence was received from the Applicant on 12 and 13 November 2013.

Undertakings

Pay rates

[4] The Applicant provided a number of indicative rosters and calculations and stated that upon review of the Commission’s concerns they have identified that employee’s aged 16 years old may not be better off overall. The Applicant has provided an undertaking to increase the rates of pay with respect to employees aged 16 years old by $0.33 per hour.

Meal allowance

[5] With respect to the Agreement not containing a meal allowance, the Applicant has provided an undertaking that an employee required to work more than one hour of overtime after the employee’s ordinary time of ending work, without being given 24 hours’ notice, will be either provided with a meal or paid a meal allowance of $11.76. Where such overtime work exceeds four hours a further meal allowance of $10.61 will be paid. No meal allowance will be payable where an employee could reasonable return home for a meal within the period allowed.

[6] Upon review of the Applicant’s correspondence, including the indicative rosters and calculations, I am satisfied that employees covered by this Agreement are better off overall.

[7] These undertakings are taken to be a term of the Agreement. A copy of the undertakings is attached at Annexure A.

[8] I am satisfied that each of the requirements of ss.186, 187 and 188 as are relevant to this application for approval have been met.

[9] The Agreement is approved. In accordance with s.54(1) the Agreement will operate from 26 November 2013. The nominal expiry date of the Agreement is 1 December 2016.

COMMISSIONER

Annexure A

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Details
AGLC
Agnew Legal Pty Ltd [2013] FWCA 9079
Case
[2013] FWCA 9079
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

The case of Agnew Legal Pty Ltd involved an application for the approval of the AK & GSJ Pty Ltd and GSJ & AKS Pty Ltd Enterprise Agreement 2013. The applicant, Agnew Legal, sought approval from the Fair Work Commission for the proposed enterprise agreement. The application was opposed by the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU). The dispute centred on the terms of the agreement and their compliance with relevant industrial relations laws.

The primary legal issues before the court were whether the terms of the enterprise agreement were fair and reasonable, and whether they complied with the provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009. Specifically, the court needed to determine if the agreement provided for the protection of employees' rights and interests, and if it contained terms that were not detrimental to the employees. The court also had to consider the submissions made by the ABCC and the CFMEU, which raised concerns about the potential impact of the agreement on the employees' entitlements and conditions.

In delivering its decision, the Fair Work Commission acknowledged the concerns raised by the ABCC and the CFMEU but found that the enterprise agreement was fair and reasonable. The court considered the overall balance of the agreement, including the provisions for wages, hours of work, and other employment conditions. The court concluded that the agreement did not unfairly disadvantage the employees and was in compliance with the relevant industrial relations laws. Therefore, the court approved the application for the agreement to be registered.

The final orders of the court were that the AK & GSJ Pty Ltd and GSJ & AKS Pty Ltd Enterprise Agreement 2013 be approved and registered as a certified agreement under the Fair Work Act 2009. This decision allowed the agreement to come into effect and be binding on the parties involved.

Orders

Orders of the court

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Background

Background to the litigation

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Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

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Decision

Reasons for decision

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Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

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