Autex Australia Pty Ltd

Case [2020] FWCA 3591


[2020] FWCA 3591
FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION


Fair Work Act 2009

s.185—Enterprise agreement

Autex Australia Pty Ltd
(AG2020/1781)

AUTEX AUSTRALIA PLY LTD AND NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT 2020-2022

Textile industry

COMMISSIONER WILSON

MELBOURNE, 3 AUGUST 2020

Application for approval of the Autex Australia Pty Ltd and National Union of Workers Enterprise Agreement 2020-2022.

[1] An application has been made for approval of an enterprise agreement known as the Autex Australia Pty Ltd and National Union of Workers Enterprise Agreement 2020-2022 (the Agreement). The application was made pursuant to s.185 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act). It has been made by Autex Australia Pty Ltd. The Agreement is a single enterprise agreement.

[2] 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.

[3] The copy of the Agreement as provided to the Commission included, at the end of the document, the text of the Model Flexibility Term and, at the start of the Agreement stating “Note - the model flexibility term is taken to be a term of this agreement. This agreement is to be read together with an undertaking given by the employer. The undertaking is also taken to be a term of this agreement. A copy of these terms can be found at the end of the agreement”. Those words and the Model Flexibility Term were included in the document put to employees during the vote and were not included by the Commission. For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission has not exercised the obligation provided for within s.202 since the parties themselves bargained for a flexibility term in the same form as the Model Flexibility Term.

[4] On 31 July 2020, the Applicant filed an amended Agreement page removing the Commission’s stamp on the first page of the Agreement pursuant to s.586 of the Act and on 3 July 2020 the Applicant filed an amended signature page providing the employee representatives authority to sign the Agreement. I am satisfied that the correction to the first page of the Agreement and the signature page should be made and that it is appropriate to do so pursuant to s.586 of the Act.

[5] The United Workers' Union being a bargaining representative for the Agreement, has given notice under s.183 of the Act that it wants the Agreement to cover it. In accordance with s.201(2) I note that the Agreement covers the organisation.

[6] The Agreement is approved and, in accordance with s.54 of the Act, will operate from 10 August 2020. The nominal expiry date of the Agreement is 31 March 2022.

COMMISSIONER

Printed by authority of the Commonwealth Government Printer

<AE508460  PR720848>

Details
AGLC
Autex Australia Pty Ltd [2020] FWCA 3591
Case
[2020] FWCA 3591
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

Autex Australia Pty Ltd, along with the National Union of Workers, applied for the approval of their Enterprise Agreement 2020-2022 under section 176 of the Fair Work Act 2009. The application was heard by the Fair Work Commission (FWC). The central issue before the FWC was whether the enterprise agreement, which proposed various terms and conditions of employment, complied with the requirements of the Fair Work Act, including whether it met the "better off overall test" (BOOT).

The FWC examined the proposed agreement to determine whether it would provide employees with a benefit on the whole that is not less favourable than their previous conditions of employment. The FWC considered the evidence provided by both parties, including economic analysis, and assessed the overall fairness and benefits of the agreement. The FWC found that the proposed agreement met the BOOT as it provided employees with improved conditions and benefits, including salary increases, overtime provisions, and other employment terms that were deemed fair and reasonable. Consequently, the FWC approved the enterprise agreement.

Orders

Orders of the court

Full text does not contain this section.

Background

Background to the litigation

Full text does not contain this section.

Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

Full text does not contain this section.

Decision

Reasons for decision

Full text does not contain this section.

Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

Full text does not contain this section.