Mr Ben Williams v Greg Hyne Drilling Pty Ltd

[2014] FWC 4553

[2014] FWC 4553

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION

Fair Work Act 2009
s.394 - Application for unfair dismissal remedy

Mr Ben Williams
v
Greg Hyne Drilling Pty Ltd
(U2014/3991)

COMMISSIONER SIMPSON BRISBANE, 9 JULY 2014

Application for relief from unfair dismissal - application dismissed.

[1] This matter involves an application for unfair dismissal remedy made pursuant to section 394 of the Fair Work Act 2009, (the Act). The application was lodged in Brisbane on 23 January 2014. The application was made by Mr Ben Williams (the applicant) and the respondent employer is Greg Hyne Drilling Pty Ltd (the employer).

[2] The application was then referred to my Chambers for Arbitration.

[3] A Directions Hearing was listed for 23 May 2014.

[4] Attempts to make contact with the Applicant on both telephone numbers provided by the Applicant were made without success. Correspondence was sent to the Applicant from my Chambers requesting a response by close of business Friday 30 May 2014. To date there has been no response. I note that the correspondence also advised the parties that “Should the Applicant make no submission in respect of these Directions, the application may be dismissed”.

[5] An email was sent to the Applicant on 6 June 2014 giving additional time to respond.

[6] To date no response of any form has been received from the Applicant. The notifications from the Tribunal have all been directed to the email address provided by the Applicant on his application, which is the same email address that the Applicant has used in the course of this matter and had previously acknowledged and responded to email correspondence from the Tribunal. Confirmation receipts for emails sent have been received.

Consideration

[7] In the circumstances it is appropriate for me to consider whether to exercise my discretion to dismiss the application for want of prosecution.

[8] The Full Bench of Fair Work Commission in Sayer v Melsteel  1Pty Ltd considered that in a case where an Applicant has failed to attend at a Hearing to prosecute the matter it would be open to Fair Work Commission to consider exercising the power of the Tribunal under s.587(1). Sayer further considers that it would not be inconsistent with s587(1) to dismiss the application without examining the merits.

[9] I adopt the approach of the Full Bench in Sayer in this matter.

[10] The history of this matter as outlined above make it clear, in my view, that this matter should be dismissed pursuant to s.587 for the reasons discussed above.

[11] Accordingly the matter is dismissed.

COMMISSIONER

 1   Sayer v Melsteel[2011] FWAFB 7498

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