Michael Ray Matthews v DFP Recruitment

[2023] FWC 163

[2023] FWC 163

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION

Fair Work Act 2009

s.394—Unfair dismissal

Michael Ray Matthews
v

DFP Recruitment

(U2022/11937)

COMMISSIONER BISSETT MELBOURNE, 31 JANUARY 2023

Application for an unfair dismissal remedy – unpaid application – dismissal under s.587 at the Commission’s initiative.

1. On 16 December 2022 Mr Michael Ray Matthews made an application to the Fair Work Commission for a remedy for unfair dismissal pursuant to s.394 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act).

1. The application was incomplete in that Mr Matthews did not pay the required fee or file a completed waiver form. Complete details for the respondent were also missing.

1. On 19 December 2022 the Commission contacted Mr Matthews by telephone. Mr Matthews advised he would provide complete details for the respondent. Those details were ultimately provided by the Respondent to the Commission on 20 December 2022.

1. Later that day the Commission emailed correspondence to Mr Matthews’ nominated email address advising that his application required payment of the filing fee or a completed waiver form if he wished to proceed with the application. That correspondence also warned that if payment was not made or a waiver form was not received within 14 days, the application may be dismissed.

1. On 4 January 2023 the Commission contacted Mr Matthews by telephone and advised that payment was due that day. Mr Matthews was referred to the letter of 19 December 2022 for more information.

1. A final attempt to contact Mr Matthews was made by the Commission on 13 January 2023 to obtain payment or a completed waiver form. The call was not answered and a voicemail message was left advising him that payment of the required fee was still outstanding.

1. To date Mr Matthews has not paid the required fee or completed a waiver form.

1. Section 395 of the FW Act, which deals with application fees, provides as follows:

395 Application fees

(1) An application to the FWC under this Division must be accompanied by any fee prescribed by the regulations.

(2) The regulations may prescribe:

(a) a fee for making an application to the FWC under this Division; and

(b) a method for indexing the fee; and

(c) the circumstances in which all or part of the fee may be waived or refunded.

1. Section 587(1) of the FW Act provides as follows:

587 Dismissing applications

(1) Without limiting when the FWC may dismiss an application, the FWC may dismiss an application if:

(a) the application is not made in accordance with this Act; or

(b) the application is frivolous or vexatious; or

(c) the application has no reasonable prospect of success.

1. I am satisfied that, as the application was not accompanied by the fee prescribed by the FW Act, the application was not made in accordance with the FW Act. As such, I order that the application is dismissed pursuant to s.587(1)(a) of the FW Act.

COMMISSIONER

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