Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Limited

[2014] FWCA 4521

[2014] FWCA 4521

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION

Fair Work Act 2009
s.185—Enterprise agreement

Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Limited
(AG2014/6499)

IPLEX PIPELINES PTY LTD ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT 2013 - STRATHPINE MANUFACTURING

Manufacturing and associated industries
SENIOR DEPUTY PRESIDENT WATSON	MELBOURNE, 8 JULY 2014

Application for approval of the Iplex Pipelines Pty Ltd Enterprise Agreement 2013 - Strathpine Manufacturing.

[1] An application has been made for approval of an enterprise agreement known as the Iplex Pipelines Pty Ltd Enterprise Agreement 2013 - Strathpine Manufacturing (the Agreement). The application was made pursuant to s.185 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act). It has been made by Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Limited. The Agreement is a single-enterprise agreement.

[2] I am satisfied that each of the requirements of ss.186, 187 and 188 as are relevant to this application for approval have been met.

[3] In my view, the clause Communication and Consultation and the clause Introduction of Change provision in clauses 8 & 9 of the Agreement is not a consultation term which meets the requirements of ss.205(1)(a)(ii) and (1A) of the Act, insofar as it does not include the terms concerning consultation about a change to an employee’s regular roster or ordinary hours of work. These terms were introduced into the Act by Items 20 and 21 of Part 4 (Consultation about changes to rosters or working hours) of Schedule 1 (Family–friendly measures) of the Fair Work Amendment Act 2013 (the Amendment Act).Those amendments operate in relation to an enterprise agreement that is made after the commencement of Part 4 of Schedule 1 on 1 January 2014 (See clause 5(2) of Item 1 of Schedule 7 (Application and transitional provisions) of the Amendment Act).

[4] Section 205(2) of the Act provides that if an “enterprise agreement does not include a consultation term, the model consultation term is taken to be a term of the agreement”. The model consultation term is found in Schedule 2.3 of the Fair Work Regulations 2009.

[5] As required by s.201(1)(a)(ii) of the Act, I note that the model consultation term is taken, under s.205(2), to be a term of the Agreement.

[6] The “Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union” known as the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) and The Australian Workers’ Union being bargaining representatives for the Agreement, have given notice under s.183 of the Act that they want the Agreement to cover them. In accordance with s.201(2), I note that the Agreement covers the organisations.

[7] The Agreement is approved and, in accordance with s.54, will operate from 15 July 2014. The nominal expiry date of the Agreement is 14 November 2016.

SENIOR DEPUTY PRESIDENT

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