Firm Grip Telecommunications Pty Ltd

[2015] FWCA 6651

[2015] FWCA 6651

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION

Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2009
Sch. 3, Item 16 - Application to terminate collective agreement-based transitional instrument

Firm Grip Telecommunications Pty Ltd
(AG2015/5469)

FIRM GRIP TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT 2000-2003

Electrical contracting industry
DEPUTY PRESIDENT GOSTENCNIK	MELBOURNE, 28 SEPTEMBER 2015

Application for termination of the Firm Grip Telecommunications Enterprise Agreement 2000-2003.

[1] On 10 September 2015 Firm Grip Telecommunications Pty Ltd (Firm Grip Telecommunications) applied, pursuant to Schedule 3, Item 16 of the Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2009 (Transitional Act) to terminate the Firm Grip Telecommunications Enterprise Agreement 2000-2003 (the Agreement). 1 The Agreement covers Firm Grip Telecommunications and employees of Firm Grip Telecommunications as specified in clause 1 of the Agreement. The Agreement has passed its nominal expiry date.

[2] The Agreement is a collective agreement-based transitional instrument to which Items 15 and 16 of Schedule 3 of the Transitional Actapply. The effect of Items 15 and 16 of Schedule 3 of the Transitional Act is that the termination of agreement provisions found in Subdivisions C and D of Division 7 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act) apply to the Agreement as though a reference to an enterprise agreement included a reference to a collective agreement-based transitional instrument.

[3] Section 225 of the Act provides:

“225 Application for termination of an enterprise agreement after its nominal expiry date

If an enterprise agreement has passed its nominal expiry date, any of the following may apply to FWA for the termination of the agreement:

(a) one or more of the employers covered by the agreement;

(b) an employee covered by the agreement;

(c) an employee organisation covered by the agreement.”

[4] Section 226 of the Act provides:

“226 When FWA must terminate an enterprise agreement

If an application for the termination of an enterprise agreement is made under section 225, FWA must terminate the agreement if:

(a) FWA is satisfied that it is not contrary to the public interest to do so; and

(b) FWA considers that it is appropriate to terminate the agreement taking into account all the circumstances including:

(i) the views of the employees, each employer, and each employee organisation (if any), covered by the agreement; and

(ii) the circumstances of those employees, employers and organisations including the likely effect that the termination will have on each of them.


(c) an employee organisation covered by the agreement.”

[5] The Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia (CEPU) is an organisation which is covered by the Agreement. In correspondence to my Chambers of 24 September 2015, the CEPU advised that it did not oppose the cancellation of the Agreement.

[6] Based on the material contained in Firm Grip Telecommunications’ declaration filed with the application, I am satisfied that termination of the Agreement is not contrary to the public interest. Taking into account all of the circumstances including those in ss.226(b)(i) and (ii), I consider that it is appropriate to terminate the Agreement. There is nothing before me which raises public interest considerations which might militate against the termination of the Agreement. I am satisfied that it is appropriate to approve the termination of the Agreement, and I terminate the Agreement.

[7] The termination will operate from 28 September 2015.

DEPUTY PRESIDENT

 1  AG805486.

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