Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union

[2019] FWCA 329

[2019] FWCA 329

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION

Fair Work Act 2009
s.222 - Application for approval of a termination of an enterprise agreement

Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union
(AG2018/6695)

ATF SUPERIOR WALLS & CEILINGS (QLD) TRUST T/A SUPERIOR WALLS & CEILINGS (QLD) PTY LTD AND CFMEU UNION COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT 2015 - 2019

Building, metal and civil construction industries
DEPUTY PRESIDENT MASSON	MELBOURNE, 25 JANUARY 2019

Application for termination of the AFT Superior Walls & Ceilings (QLD) Trust T/A Superior Walls & Ceilings (QLD) Pty Ltd and CFMEU Union Collective Agreement 2015-2019.

[1] On 3 December 2018, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (the Applicant) lodged an application pursuant to s 222 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Act) to terminate the ATF Superior Walls & Ceilings (QLD) Trust T/A Superior Walls & Ceilings (QLD) Pty Ltd and CFMEU Union Collective Agreement 2015 - 2019 (Agreement).

[2] A statutory declaration in support of the application to terminate the Agreement was also provided by Superior Walls and Ceilings (Qld) Pty Ltd (Superior Walls and Ceilings).

[3] The Agreement is a single enterprise agreement and its nominal expiry date is 2 July 2019.

[4] The relevant provisions of the Act are as follows:

“222 Application for the FWC’s approval of a termination of an enterprise agreement

Application for approval

(1) If a termination of an enterprise agreement has been agreed to, a person covered by the agreement must apply to the FWC for approval of the termination.

Material to accompany the application

(2) The application must be accompanied by any declarations that are required by the procedural rules to accompany the application.

When the application must be made

(3) The application must be made:

(a) within 14 days after the termination is agreed to; or


(b) if in all the circumstances the FWC considers it fair to extend that period—within such further period as the FWC allows.

223 When the FWC must approve a termination of an enterprise agreement

If an application for the approval of a termination of an enterprise agreement is made under section 222, the FWC must approve the termination if:

(a) the FWC is satisfied that each employer covered by the agreement complied with subsection 220(2) (which deals with giving employees a reasonable opportunity to decide etc.) in relation to the agreement; and

(b) the FWC is satisfied that the termination was agreed to in accordance with whichever of subsection 221(1) or (2) applies (those subsections deal with agreement to the termination of different kinds of enterprise agreements by employee vote); and

(c) the FWC is satisfied that there are no other reasonable grounds for believing that the employees have not agreed to the termination; and

(d) the FWC considers that it is appropriate to approve the termination taking into account the views of the employee organisation or employee organisations (if any) covered by the agreement.

224 When termination comes into operation

If a termination of an enterprise agreement is approved under section 223, the termination operates from the day specified in the decision to approve the termination.”

[5] Based on the material contained in the statutory declarations filed by both the Applicant and Superior Walls and Ceilings attached to the application, I am satisfied that the requirements of s 220(2) of the Act in relation to termination of the Agreement have been complied with. Taking into account all of the circumstances including those in ss 222 and 223 of the Act, I am satisfied that it is appropriate to approve the termination of the Agreement, and I so terminate the Agreement.

[6] The termination will operate from 28 January 2019.

DEPUTY PRESIDENT

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