Catholic Employment Relations Ltd
[2024] FWCA 967
•18 MARCH 2024
| [2024] FWCA 967 |
| FAIR WORK COMMISSION |
| DECISION |
Fair Work Act 2009
s.185—Enterprise agreement
Catholic Employment Relations Ltd
(AG2024/435)
SUPPORT STAFF (DARAMALAN COLLEGE, MARIST COLLEGE CANBERRA, AND ST EDMUND’S COLLEGE CANBERRA) MULTIENTERPRISE AGREEMENT 2023
| Educational services | |
| DEPUTY PRESIDENT GRAYSON | SYDNEY, 18 MARCH 2024 |
Application for approval of the Support Staff (Daramalan College, Marist College Canberra, and St Edmund’s College Canberra) MultiEnterprise Agreement2023
An application has been made for the approval of an enterprise agreement known as the Support Staff (Daramalan College, Marist College Canberra, and St Edmund’s College Canberra) MultiEnterprise Agreement 2023 (the Agreement) pursuant to s.185 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act). The application has been made by Catholic Employment Relations Ltd in its capacity as the appointed employer bargaining representative pursuant to s.176(1)(d) of the Act.
The Agreement is a multi-enterprise agreement. The Agreement covers the following employer entities:
Daramalan College, trading as Daramalan;
Marist Schools Australia Limited, trading as Marist College Canberra; and,
Edmund Rice Education Australia Colleges Ltd, trading as St Edmund’s College, Canberra.
The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022 (Cth) (Amending Act) made a number of changes to enterprise agreement approval processes in Part 2-4 of the Act, that commenced operation on 6 June 2023. By reason of the transitional arrangements for the Amending Act and the notification time for the Agreement of 2 May 2023, the genuine agreement requirements for agreement approval in Part 2-4 of the Act, as it was just before 6 June 2023, apply to the present application. Further, as the Agreement was made on 16 February 2024 the better off overall test requirements in Part 2-4 of the Act as amended on 6 June 2023 apply.
Section 190 Undertakings
The employer provided written undertakings. A copy of the undertakings is attached in Annexure A. I am satisfied that the undertakings will not cause financial detriment to any employee covered by the Agreement and that the undertakings will not result in substantial changes to the Agreement. The undertakings are taken to be a term of the Agreement.
Section 186, 187, 188 and 190
Subject to the undertakings referred to above at [4], and on the basis of the material and submissions before me, I am satisfied that each of the requirements of ss.186, 187, 188 and 190 as are relevant to this application for approval have been met. Taking into account the factors in s.186(3) and s.186(3A), I am satisfied that the group of employees covered by the Agreement was fairly chosen.
Section 183 Bargaining Representatives
The Independent Education Union (IEU), 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 IEU.
Approval
The Agreement is approved and, in accordance with s.54 of the Act, will operate from 25 March 2024. The nominal expiry date of the Agreement is 30 June 2024.
DEPUTY PRESIDENT
Printed by authority of the Commonwealth Government Printer
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ANNEXURE A
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