Andre Ogle v Cato Location Services

Case [2023] FWC 1113


[2023] FWC 1113

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION

Fair Work Act 2009

s.394—Unfair dismissal

Andre Ogle
v

Cato Location Services

(U2023/1934)

VICE PRESIDENT CATANZARITI

SYDNEY, 11 MAY 2023

Application for an unfair dismissal remedy.

  1. Andre Ogle (the applicant) was employed by Cato Location Services (the respondent) from the 20th of October 2021 until he was dismissed on the 3rd of March 2023.

  1. On the 9th of March 2023, the applicant made an application for a remedy for unfair dismissal under s.394 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act).

  2. The legal business name nominated by the respondent in their F3 – Employer’s Response Form in this matter was CATO Location Services Pty Ltd.

  3. On the 11th of April 2023, correspondence was sent to the applicant in relation to the legal business name discrepancy and he was required to respond by the 18th of April 2023. No response was received at this time.

  4. Further correspondence was sent to the applicant on the 19th of April 2023 and he was required to respond by 5:00pm the 24th of April 2023. It was in this correspondence that the applicant was advised his application would be dismissed without any notice if no response was received.

  5. To date, the applicant has not responded to any of the correspondence sent by my Chambers.

  1. Section 587 of the Act provides:

587 Dismissing applications

(1) Without limiting when the FWC may dismiss an application, the FWC may dismiss an application if:

(a) the application is not made in accordance with this Act; or

(b) the application is frivolous or vexatious; or

(c) the application has no reasonable prospects of success.

(2) Despite paragraphs (1)(b) and (c), FWC must not dismiss an application under section 365 or 773 on the ground that the application:

(a) is frivolous or vexatious; or

(b) has no reasonable prospects of success.

(3) FWC may dismiss an application:

(a) on its own initiative; or

(b) on application.

  1. The words, “Without limiting when FWC may dismiss an application” at the commencement of s.587(1) of the Act, establish that the jurisdiction of the Commission to dismiss an application is not limited to the circumstances set out in s.587(1)(a), (b) and (c).

  1. In the circumstances I have decided to dismiss the application for want of prosecution pursuant to s.587(3)(a) of the Act.

  1. An order to that effect will issue with this decision.

VICE PRESIDENT

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Details
AGLC
Andre Ogle v Cato Location Services [2023] FWC 1113
Case
[2023] FWC 1113
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

Andre Ogle, the applicant, sought a remedy for unfair dismissal against Cato Location Services, the respondent, under section 394 of the Fair Work Act 2009, after being dismissed from his employment with the company on 3 March 2023. The applicant's employment had commenced on 20 October 2021. The case was heard by Vice President Catanzariti of the Fair Work Commission.

The applicant filed his application for a remedy on 9 March 2023. The respondent identified a discrepancy in the legal business name, prompting correspondence to the applicant on 11 April 2023, requesting a response by 18 April 2023. Further correspondence was sent on 19 April 2023, with a response deadline of 24 April 2023 at 5:00pm. Despite these communications, the applicant did not respond. Section 587 of the Act empowers the Fair Work Commission to dismiss an application if it is not made in accordance with the Act, is frivolous or vexatious, or lacks reasonable prospects of success. Additionally, the section explicitly states that the Commission's jurisdiction to dismiss an application is not limited to the circumstances outlined in subsection (1)(a), (b), and (c). In light of the applicant's failure to respond to the Commission's correspondence, the Vice President dismissed the application for want of prosecution.

The Vice President found that the applicant's failure to respond to the Commission's correspondence warranted dismissal of the application under section 587(3)(a) of the Act. Consequently, an order dismissing the application for want of prosecution was issued.

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