Murphy, Colin Francs v Aust Postal & Telecommunications Union

[1977] FCA 90

- I N THE F'EilEW COURT

S.A. No. 13 of 1977

OF AUSTRALIA

II\TDULTRIAL I ~ ~ I V I S I O N	In the matter of -
THE CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION

I

ACT 1904 i

Between - t

: I

COLIN FRAWIS MUFPHY

C l a i m a n t

And -

AUSTRLLIPiV POSTAL AND TELECOPUKN-

ICATIONS Ui-ION

R e s p o n d e n t

I

ORDER

JUDGES MAKING ORDER: S m i t h e r s , Evatt and K e e l y , JJ.

DATE OF ORDER: 26th O c t o b e r 1977

I

WERE MADE: ADELAIDE I

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1. The Rule N i s i herein be discharged.

--_- .- - .

SiUTHEFiS, J: Ile a r e so r ry we have kept you gentlenel? s o long.,

?ut Ire thought :$e shculd give thougl-F; t o the ques-kic71

as t o vhe ther o r no t we should keep you 1.onge.r stil?.

by rcqlliring argunent o n tlie o ther s u b s t a n t i a l p i n x s

in these proceedings . Ue t o o k tLxe t o consifier uhc ih?

o r n o t rre thought the prelinina?y point ms a good onn,

Af te r such considerat ion, IJE have cone t3 the conclus%:'

tha t t he p re l in ina ry pa in t t aken by the respondent is .

good one and therefore an ansver t o the pzoceediaps,

have taken t ine t o reduce o u r reasons to f o r n an2 T-hry

a r e as f o l l o w s :

These ere appl ica t ions cede pursuant t o I '

s ec t ions 1 4 0 and 141 t h e subs tanzial objcctTve of vh5.-'

vas t o ach ieve t he s e t t i ng a s ide 3 ' on ~::piilsLor! ".-

c la inan t by the union i n Septecbsr 1976,

In this case t he re Irzs o p re l ix ina ry qws t i c? ;

as t o whether tha clainant v a s 2 necbe? or" t h e unioa

t h e i n s t i t u t i o n o f these pmczedings, For the purposm

bDth o f s ec t ion 140 and s e c t i a n 343, t h e claixrclnt7s

e n t i t l e n e n t t o Sring the proceedings fs condi t iona l c?:,

his being a Eenber o f the union	at the tins o f cmxen3-:
proceedings,

The c l a inan t was a nenbsr of thE mLon f o r

many years before 26 Zuly 1976, bc? it i s said by thc - 1

respondent that on t h e t d a t e he gave three nsntttis: ix;I,,

3f i n t e n t i o n t o res ign , and 2.153 ?aid .La t h e un lo i l

csntributions rrhich W3d.d be p2yable by 'niu during -3% . -

ensuing three m o t n s i f he vera a ner?ber dmr?'.ng kha:, . c L

and t h a t i n csnsequerxe thereof, he <sased t o bc? a xz&:

ab the expi ra t ion o f t h a t t h r e e nanths ir? C)ctDbe-. -1976,

n

lhese proceedings -.rere co.m.aenced o n l 8 !LV.CX L

1977. i

It appears tha'c on 26 JljLy .:976 khc laina::.'; I .

f o rmrded t o t h e s e c r e t c r y 3T t h e S s u t h 3 u s t r a l i a n b T m .

of the union a l e t t e r i n t h e h l l o v i n g -hems:

"Zesignation fron APTU union - C.F. Nurphy

The Secre tmy, APTJ Union, Rossez House, . .

62-64 S t u r t S t reo t , Acfc l~ ide ,

1 hereby resign frm the APTU uni-on ancl c?ncs?.

ny a u t h r i t y fo rm f o r deduct ims o f uxion dues

f r o m my f2r tnLght ly pay,

lVIy rezsDns f a r r e s i g n i n g are as folkws:

(1) I objec t mst s t r a n g l y t o t k c m n m 2 3n

which ve were	t o l d t o s t r i k e on a palLt icn%
issue.

The blackr?ni l tpct ics being uscd by t h c

unizn i n f o r c i n g neabers t 3 strike

The fac t th2 t nenbers m e nat b0i.n.g given

a say r e a c t i ? n to_ bc taken r e iG?dibenlc

. .

i ssues

The !?mner i n which the fedora l e::ecutive

are apparsnt ly dxrngreding l inos posi t ions

i n t h e l i n e s ta f f reorganisa t ion

The i r r e s p m s i b l e a c t i o n s o f the S t a t e an3

Federal executive i n na!ring a recowondat ion

frm t h e kCTU a d i rec t i i re 1r!len a t l G a S t i J - J 3

weeks' n ? t i c e o f pas s ib l e ac t ion tras fnre-

Shd37Jed 2nd rlenbers' feelings c;ul.d e a s i l y

have been 3btP.ined i n ench area by the union

rep and votes fomrardod t s the s to t e mecu-

t ive f n c3unting

Fsr helping the Fraser governnent d i smnt le

the 1.ledi.bnnk schene by doing the j o b f o r . .

the governnent.

Yours f a i t h f u l l y , C.F. Hurphy, Menber I!?. 570 'I

With t h a t l e t t e r , t h e c1ai:lant s e n t c? choque

f3r the SKI o f $13. We infcr that t h e l e t te r a116 t h e

cheque being sent together were intende6 t o be underst3od

and vr.r;.ulcl be understmd by t h e r e c i p i a n t ES being related

t h e si10 tz the other 6nC: t o s;jcak v i t h r c f o r e n c e t? t h e

sub jec t 3 f t h e l e t t e r g n a m l y , t h o r e s i g n o t i m f r o g the

APTU union o f I h . Iiurghy.

It i s o w view thc rz f3 re tha t , in the i n t e r -

p ro ta t ion 3f each 3ne :jf t h e c1x daculents thc te rns sf

t h e 3 t h e r i s re levant and nus t be t c k e n i n e 3 accmnt . They

r?ere presented t 3 the union as 3 s ing le c3municz t ion and

r r ~ u l d be unrlersto3cl ns such9 j u s t f ? r i a s t m c e , as i n

t'ne case cd' cl cheque rrhich i s s e n t t o g c t h a r u i t h a n

I

invsice bath d . ~ u r m ~ t s	h w c	be	re?d End	i n t e rp re t ed
t:)geYncr.

In t h i s c ~ e n?t Tnly the chequo mc? t h e l e t t e r

h2.m t z be in t e rp re t ed tnge thc r but b3th d3aur-cnts are

c l e u l y referzble	t 2 t h e rules	o f	the o rgan i sa t im .
n

lhe purpzrted resiGn?t i?n is r e s i e n a t i a n frx1 ncnbership,

t h e r.c_n.bership is gwsrned by t h e rules, ?no. t h e r u l e s

cmtn in p rov i s ion f o r res ignnt ion. P r i m f ac i e the re fo re

a na t i ce 3f resignct ion by a negber i s t o be understood ns

r a f c r c b l c t :~ thc rules. The c';nsequcnce i s t h n t t h c rules,

t h e l e t t e r 2nd the cheque are t o be i n t e r p r e t o d i n t h e

l i g h t zf each other.

Rule 19(d> i s i n t h e f o l l s r r i n g terns :

26/10/77

"Suhject t-, t h e a c t ?nrl t n r u l e 2B nn q u ? T j f i ed

p e r s m s h d l be e n t i t l e d t3 r e s ign h i s rmnbership r

3f the uni?-n except by giving a t lmst th ree

I mnths ' wr i t t on n3 t i ce o f such in ten t ion ta r e s ign

t3 ths sec re tny a f t he b ranch t 7 vlxicl? he is

a t tached anil upon pcymnt a t t hc t i xe . f such

nz t i ce o f res ignpt ion 3f a l l c 3 n t r i b u t i m s and

n ther dues w i n ; by h i 3 t? the union U:) t o t h e

end of the peri;d 3f his nDtice 3 res igaa t im" . I

>fr. Millh:,me f3r the c l r t inmt a rgued tha t the

l c t t e r specks mr lb iguous ly an6 s t e t e s an in t en t im t o

r e s ign f3 r thu i th . 5a r e l i e s m the aDparontly unanbiguous

s t a t c m n t i n t!x	first t h r e e v7rds	"i-heroby resign" and	t
I

the absence f T x ? t h e l e t t e r o f any mrds vh ioh qua l i fy

t h a t	firg	s ta tencnt .
Hmevor as ind ico tec? cbme the lc t te r vas

accmpmied by the cheque and as s t a t e d ahwa t h e t e r n s

3f t h e cheque coy thrznr l i g h t 3n t h c t o t a l i n t i n a t i n n

t o t h e u n i s n c m s t i t u t e d	by	the f3mrarding	y f the l e t t e r
with thc cheque.

The cheque wos f a r $13. Thnt SW i s explic,?blc

by m f e r e n c e t o r u l e l9 (d) and i s c l e a r l y t h e sua 02

c3n t r ibu t ims vh ich w3uld be mred by tha nmbcr d u r i n g t h e

ti!x refer rcd t - J unde? ? d e 19(d> 2s "W> t 3 t h e ond 3f

the per i3d 3f h is n-k ice a f res igna t ion" , i f t h e l e t t e r

T'lere t3 be in t s rp re t ed as three rcnths ' n . : t icc af

resignPtion.	I
..

According t n t h e r u l e s , t h n t i s the p rec i se sun

trhich i s mynble unc?cr Trhat is ca l l ed tho scoond p o r t 3f

rule 19(d). Th3t it is interdeZ t3 be t h e g m sa payable

i s t o be gatherod fron t h c f a c t thc t i n the l o t t e r the

c l a i n a n t has t d x n ste?s t3 ensure that the doduct ians L _

Drdinnrily naae f:,r unmn cnnt r ibu t ians frm his wages

and f-mrarded t 3 $he uni?n s h u l c l ce?.se f s r t b r i t h . !

Otherwise the $13 1~3~16 bc 2. cl: Ltble pcynent i n r e s p e c t

of t h e t'nrcc nznt'nsl perind.

I In these c i rcunstances i t i s cur viar th.?t the

e x p r e s s i m '!I hereby resign" cann3t bo in t e rp re t ed

l i t e r , ? l l y . It nus t give way t o the f .>rce 3T thc ru le , the

inp l i cz t ions frm the chequa on2 i t s crmunt rind t h e

c n n c e l l n t i m 3 ths decluctims frm the va(;es. It v o u l d

be a surpr i s ing n s t i o n that t h e c la innnt w u l d nt t h e

s m e tizc ex2ress an i n t e n t i n n ts r e s i g n i n s t n n t e r ancl I

1nUld pay three nonths ' c3ntr ibut ions fsr 3 per ix l vhen

he vas n- longe? 2 nepber. Ire a rc cmsc ious 32 thc nrgunent _-

t h a t l+?. ?LIill?vuse p u t t c us i n t h i s rcs:mct. But

interpretat i - :n acc-rding t 3 t h e view t h a t m h?.ve token

recrlnciles thn, c;ntents 3f tile l c t t o r 2nd thc cheque

and t h c ru los .

l

I n d u s t r i a l hurt i n YAssett v Znrding decided on

29 Septenber 1976 ~r'nen prcrblezs akin t 7 t h a t b c f s r e US

t3dF.y were ciealt vith. Ihfever t h e r e a r c o1w.r po in ts

o f d i s t i n c t i o n beb.reen t h e d:)cu?ents o f 31lOged r e s i g m -

t i o n c y n s i d e r e d i n t h s t CPSO 2nd t h x e b e f 3 r e us. It

cnuld be seen frm t h e c m t e n t s 3f t h x e 2:)cuclents on

t h e i r p r o p e r i n t c r p r e t n t i m t h e y sp3lce unxbigu3us ly

t 3 the e f f ec t t ha t t he pu rp3r t cd r e s igna t i3ns wore t n

opera te innedia te ly . In this case the t 3 t a l dccunents

zf r e s ignn t ion , nc r ; e ly the l e t t e r anci the cheque on

t h e i r pr3per i n t e r p r e t n t i o n i n t h c l i g h t 3j: r u l e 19 (d>

a l so speck unaL1bigunusly as t 3 the d z t o on vi l ich the

resignst i3n the subject therc-of i s tcr take e f f ec t ? but

t h a t d a t e i s the dcy 3f t he exg i r a t i an 3f the pcrlod 3f

t'mee nonths f r n n t he co rnun icn t im in ques t inn .

l're have ncrt overlaoked the provis i3ns 31"

s . I \5( l ) (b) . The s i t u a t i o n as vs see it i s t h a t t h e

r e s i g n a t i m being an e f fec t ive res ign3t ion ucder the

rules , the pr3vis iDns 3f s.145(1 >(b) cre nst s ign i f i can t .

Ho nrgmcnt >res put t3 us	tht t h a t s u b s e c t i o n d/d	hme
m y signif icance.

It shoulc? be :>bserved tha t t he conc lus inn which

ne hnvo reached by r s fe ranco t:: t h e i n t e r p r e t s t i m o f t h e

re levant docucients I s i n accnrd with -

(a) t h e s t e t e m n t by t h e c l a i n s n t i n his a f f i d a v i t

t h a t he f3nrnrded the cheque	f o r 813	pursuant
t 7 rule 19

(b) t h e s t a t e c e n t i n t h c a f f i d a v i t by t h e c l a i m n t

that he fJmrPrded the cheque with- the le t ter and

(c>	the at tendence o f t h e c l a i n m t uhon chsrged
v i t h t h e Dffences ii1 respec t 3f uhioh the branch !
purpnrted t o e v e 1 hir1, his p l e c 3f n3t g u i l t y
t o th3se cherges 2nd his Tilission a t t h a t
h e n i n & t o t a k e t h e p i n t that hc had already
resigned. That kearing xcurred during the
three nonths pcri3d re fer red t3 ab3ve.

I -

Having r e g u d t o the forega in6 tha ru le n i s i

should be discharged.