Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia

[2021] FWCA 1929

[2021] FWCA 1929

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION

Fair Work Act 2009
s.185—Enterprise agreement

Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia
(AG2021/4487)

CORBRITT AIRCONDITIONING PTY LTD AND CEPU - PLUMBING DIVISION (VIC) PLUMBING ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT 2019 - 2023

Plumbing industry
DEPUTY PRESIDENT COLMAN	MELBOURNE, 9 APRIL 2021

Application for approval of the Corbritt Airconditioning Pty Ltd and CEPU - Plumbing Division (Vic) Plumbing Enterprise Agreement 2019 - 2023.

[1] The Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia (CEPU) has made an application for approval of an enterprise agreement known as the Corbritt Airconditioning Pty Ltd and CEPU - Plumbing Division (Vic) Plumbing Enterprise Agreement 2019 - 2023 (the Agreement) pursuant to s 185 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act). The agreement is a single enterprise agreement.

[2] While the application is generally in order, the employees were not given seven clear days’ notice of the time of the vote. Employees were advised on 19 November 2020 that they must have the agreement for eight days prior to the vote and that they would be contacted again after this time with further details of the vote. On 1 December 2020, employees were advised that the vote would occur that day. Employees had seven clear days’ notice of a vote, but not the vote. Further, a copy of the notice of employee representational rights (NERR) was not provided to all employees within 14 days of the notification time. However, in all the circumstances, and having regard to the decision of the Full Bench in Huntsman Chemical Company Australia Pty Limited T/A RMAX Rigid Cellular Plastics & Others, 1 I am satisfied that these constitute minor procedural or technical errors for the purposes of s 188(2)(a) and that the employees covered by the agreement were not likely to have been disadvantaged by the errors. As a result, I am satisfied that the Agreement has been genuinely agreed within the meaning of s 188(2) of the Act.

[3] On the basis of the material contained in the application and accompanying declaration, I am satisfied that each of the requirements of ss 186, 187 and 188 as are relevant to this application for approval has been met.

[4] The application was not lodged within 14 days after the agreement was made. Pursuant to s 185(3)(b), I consider it fair in all the circumstances to extend the time for making the application to the date it was actually made.

[5] The CEPU, 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) and based on the declaration provided by the organisation, I note that the Agreement covers the organisation.

[6] The Agreement was approved on 9 April 2021 and, in accordance with s 54, will operate from 16 April 2021. The nominal expiry date of the Agreement is 31 October 2023.

DEPUTY PRESIDENT

 1   [2019] FWCFB 318

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