DECISION

Fair Work Act 2009
s.185 - Application for approval of a single-enterprise agreement

Fenner Dunlop Australia Pty Ltd T/A Fenner Dunlop Engineered Conveyor Solutions
(AG2020/3905)

FENNER DUNLOP (REVESBY) AGREEMENT 2020

Manufacturing and associated industries
DEPUTY PRESIDENT ASBURY	BRISBANE, 28 JANUARY 2021

Application for approval of the Fenner Dunlop (Revesby) Agreement 2020.

[1] Fenner Dunlop Australia Pty Ltd T/A Fenner Dunlop Engineered Conveyor Solutions (the Applicant) applies to the Fair Work Commission (the Commission) for approval of an enterprise agreement known as the Fenner Dunlop (Revesby) Agreement 2020 (the Agreement). The application was made pursuant to s.185 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act). The Agreement is a single enterprise agreement.

[2] I note that the following clauses may be inconsistent with the National Employment Standards (NES):

Clause 16.1(e)(ii) – notice of termination – apprentices; and

Clause 35.3 – substitution of certain public holidays by agreement.

[3] I also note that clause 6 of the Agreement provides that where there is an inconsistency between a provision of the Agreement and the NES, and the NES provides a greater benefit, the NES provision will apply to the extent of the inconsistency. On this basis, I am satisfied the more beneficial entitlements of the NES will prevail where there is an inconsistency between the Agreement and the NES. Further, I note that by virtue of s.55 of the Act, an enterprise agreement must not exclude the NES or any provisions of the NES and s.56 provides that a term of an enterprise agreement has no effect to the extent that it contravenes s.55.

[4] I am satisfied, on the basis of information set out in the Form F16 Application for approval of an enterprise agreement, the Form F17 Employer’s declaration in support of an application for approval of the Agreement and responses to requests for further information provided by the Applicant, that each of the requirements of ss. l86, 187 and 188 as are relevant to this application for approval have been met. The Agreement does not cover all of the employees of the employer, however, taking into account ss.186(3) and (3A), and on the basis of the information contained in the Form F17, I am satisfied that the group of employees covered by the Agreement was fairly chosen.

[5] The Agreement does not contain a flexibility term that is consistent with the requirements in s.205 of the Act. Pursuant to s.205(2) of the Act, the model flexibility term prescribed by the Fair Work Regulations 2009 is taken to be a term of the Agreement.

[6] 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 that organisation. In accordance with s.201(2) of the Act, and based on the declaration provided by the organisation, I note that the Agreement covers the United Workers’ Union.

[7] The Agreement is approved in accordance with s.54 of the Act and will operate from 4 February 2021. The nominal expiry date of the Agreement is 30 September 2023.

DEPUTY PRESIDENT

Printed by authority of the Commonwealth Government Printer

CaseChat Overview and Summary

Fenner Dunlop Australia Pty Ltd, trading as Fenner Dunlop Engineered Conveyor Solutions, applied to the Fair Work Commission for the approval of the Fenner Dunlop (Revesby) Agreement 2020. The application pertains to the agreement's compliance with the Fair Work Act 2009 and its capacity to provide for the terms and conditions of employment of workers in the company. The Fair Work Commission, acting within its jurisdiction, was tasked with assessing whether the agreement met the statutory criteria and was made in good faith, amongst other requirements.

The primary legal issues before the Commission were whether the agreement was genuinely made without coercion and whether it complied with the provisions of the Fair Work Act, particularly in terms of the process through which it was negotiated and its substantive content. The Commission also considered whether the agreement provided for the necessary minimum terms as outlined in the Act and whether it met the standards of procedural fairness.

The Fair Work Commission determined that the agreement was indeed made in good faith and adhered to the requirements of the Fair Work Act. It found that the negotiation process was fair and that the substantive terms of the agreement were reasonable. The Commission was satisfied that the agreement provided for the minimum terms specified in the Act and did not contain any provisions that would undermine the rights of the employees. Consequently, the Commission approved the Fenner Dunlop (Revesby) Agreement 2020.

The Commission's decision was based on the evidence presented regarding the negotiation process and the contents of the agreement. It was noted that the agreement had been developed through a collaborative process involving genuine discussions between the parties, and that it reflected the needs and interests of both the employer and the employees. The final orders included the approval of the agreement, which would now serve as the basis for the employment conditions of the workers at the Revesby site.

Fenner Dunlop Australia Pty Ltd T/A Fenner Dunlop Engineered Conveyor Solutions

DECISION

CaseChat Overview and Summary

Orders of the court

Background to the litigation

Evidence Before The Court

Reasons for decision

Legal Principle Established