Roughan, P.J. v Coulson, M

C o n c l l l a t l o n a n d A r b l t r a t i o n

A c t

1 9 0 4

S e c t i o n s

140 and

181 - d l s n i s s a l of

branch organisers

f rom

employvent and off lce

- Committee of

Management -

consc ruc t lon

o f

rules

d l s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n

employnent as organiser and

membership

o f

committee

power

of- c o m m i t t e e h m i t e d t o t e r m i n a t i o n

o f

employment - no power to a b o l i s h offlce or dismlss

:-from

off I c e .

C o n c l l i a t l o n a n d A r b l t r a t i o n

A c t 1 9 0 4

140

and

141

PATRICX JOHIT ROUGHlW v. i f A X COULSON & ORS.

Appeal KO. X.S.T.J.

35 of 1 9 8 2

COREII :

Smithers ,

S t . John, IJorKhrop,

JJ.

-	DATE :	1 6 t h December,	1 9 8 2
SYDflEY

T I J D U S T R I A L

D I V I S I O M

On Appeal

from Wr.

J c s t x e E v z t t

PATRICK	JOHN	ROUGHAN
Appellant

IQ}:

COULSOiJ

RE)! SXALL

-ALLAN AD.V5TH!87AITE

ROBERT

GIIRRETT

JOHN

IiUDDER

MURIWY

BENMETT

NEVILLE

PROUD

BARRY

COLE

J?J4ES

BCMNETT

JOAN WATSObJ

CORAL

SCHOFIELD

LORRAINE EDITARDS

GRANAN SHAW

r .

JOSEPH

V I T U L L O

T H E

AUSTFLULIAN

PlEAT

INDUSTRY

ENPLOYEES

WITION

R e s p o n d e n t s

ORDER

JUDGZS

I iAKIl lG

ORDER:

Smithers, St. John , !Jorthrop, JJ.

DATE OF ORDER:	1 6 t h December,	1 9 8 2
I8IICRC MADE:	Sylney

THE COURT

ORDERS

T1V.T:

1. The appeal 1 S upheld .

. / 2

The

1 1 2 b ~ J O I l i l e I l t b

v t l l e ~

t h a n

the registered

o r s a n l s a t i o n ,

and

each

them,

a r e o r d e r e d

t o o b s e r v e

the

r u l e s

the

o r g a n l s a t l o n

t r e a t i n g the appellant and 15r. B. Tobin a s members of the Committee of Planagement i o r

t!le

bz lance of

t h e l r term of

o r f i c e .

3 .

L i b e r t y

t o

a l l

p a r t i e s

t o

apply

seven

(7 )

days '

n o t i c e .

_-.

, .

...

, .

I 1

I - ) .

- c

co.?.f?i!:

Slaithecs,

SE.

John ,

N o r ~ l ~ r o p ,

JJ.

D,-!TC

1Gch DecemSer, 1 9 8 2

-	S'?. JOIII' and IlORTHROP, JJ.

. .

/ 2

i n thc ?IcI?castle

and Northern Branch

("thc G i s n C h " )

t h e A u s t r a l i a n

Meat

I n d u s t r y Clnployecs'

Unlon

( " t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n " )

o ryan l sa t ion

r egxs t e red unde r

the

C o n c l l ~ a t i o n

and Ar ln t ra t lon Act

1 9 0 4

("C;?e

A c t " ) .

The

personal

respondents

are, or a t the r e l e v a n t tme

verc , melnbers of t h e Comnttee of rlanayernent of the

Eranch

and

the

registered

o r g a n l s a t l o n

i s a l s o

respondent, whlch

has

appeared

i t s

Genera l Secze tary

-and

s u b m t t e d

t o such

orders

a s t h e c o u r t

s a ? f i t t o

i%ke.

The appellant sought,

and

vas

r ezu red ,

orders

p u r s u a n t t o S.140

and

S .141 of

t h e A c t by

C v a t t ,

J . ,

an2

the

appeal

b e f o r e

t h l s c o u r t 1s

a g a l n s t t h a t

d e c l s l o n .

.-. ;

A t a speclal n e e t i n y of

t h e Committee of

Manage-

1~1cnt

the Branch , he ld on 15th

Narc!1,

1 9 8 2 ,

t h e

io l lc~~lnc ;

r e s o l u t l o n was passed and

recorded In the

mlnutes :

"That because

t h e r e d u c t l o n

111 rnernmrslnp

r:hlch 1s appro::imately '30:and substantial

losses for

t h e p z s t

16 monchs,

t h a t ls, t h r e e

( 3 ) h a l f y e a r s

totalling

$ 5 1 , 4 5 2 . 0 0 ,

t h e

szaff be reduced by

trro

( 2 ) O f f l c l a l s C S per

authority

v e s t e d

the Co~nmit tee of

Plaxye-

menz as provlded 1 3 7 r . 5 5

- Dut les of

OIElcers sub-c lause D (1)

( s ~ c )

. Such

tc r rn lna t lon

s h a l l

apply

c o n s l d e r a t l o n

s ~ n ~ o r l t y

h a t i s , I b l r E .

Tobln

and !,lr

I?ougl'lon

a r e t h e

o r g a n l s e r s

t o be

t e r m ~ n a t e d . "

. .

. / 3

T!Iat

s cb - ru l e forms one of

S number of sub- ru l e s of

._-, .

Xule 55, which 1s headed

"Duties

of Oiflcers".

. .

. / A

abcllsh

p a r t i c u l a r

oZ1lces

d u r l n o

t h e

p e r l o d f o r

v h i c h o i f l c e b e a r e r s

had

been

e l e c t e d

t o

hold

those

o f f l c c s ,

a l t e r n a t l v e l y ,

that

the

e f f e c t of

t h e

r e s o l u t l o n

1~7as t o remove

from

o f f l c e o f f i c e r s

who

had not ;xeached r u l e 58 of

t h e

r u l e s ,

17hlch

repzo-

ducccl

t h e

r e l evan t p rov i s lons o f

S.133

t h e A c t

l x ~ l t l n g

the power

the o r g a n l s a t l o n

t o dlsmiss

f r o m

o f f l c e

e x c e p t

upon

spec l f l ed

g rounds .

For

'-the per sona l

r s sponden t s ,

i t was

con tended

tha t

the

e f f e c t of

t h e r e s o l u t l o n

vas

t o abo l l sh o f f l ces and

n o t

t o xernove

i ron

o f f i c e w l t h l n t h e r e a n l n g

01 S.133

01 t h e Act

and

t h a t t h e

rules ,

and

I n p a r t i c u l a r

s c b - r u l e

55 (d) (l),

au thor l sed

the a b o l l t i o n of

such

o f f i c e s

rhe Corrmt tee of

Management.

.-.

_-1

Ohvlous ly ,

the

flrst

s t e p 1s t o d e t e r i x n e t h e

p rope r cons t ruc t lon

sub-ru le

55 ( d ) (1)

by examlnatlon

o i

I ts

t e r n s I n p a r t l c u l a r ,

and

t h e r u l e s

a s a

whole

The number

o r g a n l s e r s

t o be elected a t each

e l e c t l o n is determined by

t h e Commltree of

Management

ior

the various

branches.

I n r e l a t l o n

t o

t h e

R e v c a s t l e

end

i . lorthern

Grancii

the

relevant

p a t of

r u l e 4 9

p r o v ~ d c s

t h a t t h e

Cnnlnlttee

s h a l l c o n s ]

st of

"President,

Vlce

P r e s l d e n t s , S e c r c t a r y ,

f i s s l s t a n t S e c r e t a r y ,

TrCaSurer,

O r g m l s e r s and

7 Represen ta t lvcs . "

r u l e 53,

. .

. / 5

t h e c l e c t l o ! l

t h o s e

Col~mlttec

lnei~bers 1s

conducted

by r? secret postal ballot of a l l t h e members of the

i~~-c?nch,

and,

by xule 54,

czlsual

vacancies occur lng are

t o be

€ l l l e d I n t h e

sane m a m e r ,

1.e.

secret p o s t a l

1 3 e l l o ~

t h e members.

T:e

r e g a r d

t h e s e

p r o v l s l o n s

s i g n l f l c a n t

I n t h e i n t c r p r e t a r l o n

r u l e 5 5

(6)

(l),

ccnlplylng i r i t 1 . l

s e c t i o n s

1 3 3 and

133AA

t h e A c t and

e s h l ; x t ~ n g a n a t t l t u d e c o n s i s t e n t i l l t h o n e

t h e

o b l e c t s i n t r o d u c e d

iaro

t h e A c t by

t h e

1973 amendment

t o t h e act , namely

S.2 ( 5 )

" t o e n c o u r a g e t h e

democratlc

c o n t r o l

o r g a n l z a t i o n s

r e g l s t e r e d a n d t h e

full

p a r t i c l p a t l c n

pembers

such an

o r g a n l z a t l o n	In	t h e	a f f a l r s	of	t h e
Organizat lon. "

.-.	$
- 1	.

Rule

55,

in q e n e r a l ,

sets o u t t h e d u t i e s

Eranch

Pres ldent ,

Vice

P r e s l d e n t , S e c r e t a r y , O r g a n i s e r s ,

T r u s t e e s

and

B s s l s r a n t

S e c r e t a r y .

13:'

s u b - r u l e

55 ( a ) ( 5 ) :-

"Each

Branch

s h a l l h a v e t h e

right

t o

employ

the Branch Pres ldenh

111 a fu l l -

tlme

o r s a n l s l n g

capclcl t y .

The

use oE

t h e word

"employ"

1s s l g n l f l c a n t I x c a u s c

r e a p p e z r s I n r e l a t l o n

t o the

organisers

I n sub - ru l e

55 ( 6 ) (1).

It-.

1 s a word In common usage

and

there

a p m a r s

to be

noth inr j

t!le

c o n t e x t of

lts

u s e I n t h e

sul>-rule t o moc!lfy

1Ls

o r d l n a r y meanl? lq .

That

ru le

1s he?ded

"Dutles

Offlccl-5' '

docs

n o t n c c c . t ~ a : ~ l y

mczn t h a t fill t l x k oppccll-=, 'i!1cxeuncler IS concerned

v l t l l the

officer's

d u t l e s a s

r e p r e s e n t a t l v e

the mclnbers on t h e Committee of ilanagernent.

I n t h e

crlsc

the p r e s l d e n t ,

hls

p o s s l b l e employment

a s

an orqrlnlser

would not add

K O ,

nor has anythlng

do r : l t h

the

d u t l e s c a s t upon

hlm

I n h l s p r e s l d e n t l a l

ro le .

IE he were employed a s a n

o r g a n l s e r ,

h i s

d u t i e s

rrould

r e g u l a t e d

h l s c o n t r a c t

e n p l q m e n t

and

f a l l u r e -CO

perform

s a t l s f a c t o r l l y as

an orqanlscr

- r e s u l t l n c ; i n d i s m i s s a l

for

breach

c o n t r a c t ,

would

n o t e i fec t he was elected.

h i s p o s i t l o n

p r e s l d e n t

for

~ i h l c h office

I t appears

t o us t h a t the

t r u e l n t e n t l o n of

t h e

ru les

1 s

t h a t t h e e l e c t e d o r g a n i s e r

both

r e p r e s e n t a t i v e

t h e members

the Committee

Xanage~:,ent

and,

i n a d d i t l o n t h e r e t o ,

may

employed

the

Commttee

unde r a

c o n t r a c t of

e~;ployment.

The

s u l ~ r u l e c o n t e m p ' l a ~ e s t h a t ,

f o r

the

mos t pa r t ,

o r g a n i s e r s

rrho

are

elected

shall

also

b e e ~ p l o y e d a n d

their

s p e c i a l l;nor?lcdge of

unlon

a f l a l r s resulting

Krom

s u c h emplcyment c a s t s upon

them

t h e

a d d l t l o n a l

d u t l e s

to:-

' I . .

- a t t e n d

a l l meet lnc~s and

g l v e

~ n f o r m a t ~ o n

a n d

adv lce

when

r equ l r ed

to do

s o - . .

.'I

s u b - r u l e

55 (c l ) (5),

\rcel:ly

sd la l -y

1 s

p r o v l d e d f o r ,

a s 1 s the !nanner of L'ixlng that salary.

. . / l

1:eturnlng

t o sub-ru1.e

5 5 ( d ) ( l ) ,

the Con-mlttee's

pol'er 1 s to 'I.. .

.?eterrnme

t h e nu1nl:cr

O r g a n x e r s

_ .

th~r

I;I;LV

be emp1-oyeci. - . .and,

I n t h e e v e n t

C h e

nccesslty

mcrec7se

o r d e c r e a s e

t h e

nurm:bel.-,

Setl~een

e l ec t ] ons ,

the Comnxttee. .

. shill have iull po::er

t o

zct" .

3avlng

regai-d

t o r h e

f a c t

t h a t o r g a n l s e r s

I n

t k e x

r e p r e s e n t a t i v e c z p a c i t y , a z e

elected,

and

cac,uol

vacmcLss

t o t h e n nu~n:~ei-s

are

also

r e q u i r e d

t o b e e l e c t e d ,

have

formed

t5e

view

t h a t t h e

Con ; ;u t t ee ' s pove r s

t o dec rease ,

1 s

t o d e c r e a s e

the

nulnber

eir2loyed

and

n o t t o d e c r e a s e

t h e

number

orc ;zn lsers

i n t h e l r

r e p r e s e n t a t l v e

f u n c t l o n .

I n

any

event , even

what

the

re sponZen t s con tend fo r

were

c o r r e c t , t h a t

t!le

s u b - r u l e a u t h o r l s e s

t!le

a b o l i t l o n

.. .

- .

. -

o f f l c e s ,

does not go

f a r a s

t o a l lov

t h e

Comx.Ctee

t o s e l e c t , on

whatever

basxs,

l n d l v l c l u a l

o r c , a n l s e r s

t o

h a v e

t h e u

o f f l c e

t e r m m a t e d .

The

sub-

r u l e , rus t be

looked

a t I n

vrlder

f a c t u a l c o n t e x t t h a n

e::lsts

t h l s p a r t l c u l z r

czse,

and

p r o b a b l e

f a c t u a l

s l t u r i t l o n s

t a k e n

l n t o

a c c o u n t .

I n

the

c ~ . r c u n s t a n c e s

t h i s c a s e ,

rrhe

iour

o r g a n l s e r s vere

e l e c t e d

uncpposed.

I-hd

t h e r e been

contestcd

e l e c t l o n ,

t ! lere

??ocIt!

norrnall:7

he a d l f f c r e n c e 111 the number- of

vote:,

~ 1 s t

f o r

e a c h

orqanl*;ex.

TL would appear t o f1.y

u n t h c

facc of the rules rclat1ncj t o elections lf lt \>crc

the

posli-lun r h a t , under	t!>e sul~-rul?,	t h e	C o m n ttw	could
. . ./D

a b o l ~ s h

thc

o f f i c e s h e l d

t h e o r g a n i s e r s r e c e l v i n g

t h e l a r g e s t number

v o t e s .

All

t h e s e

f a c t o r s

convlnce

u s

t h a t ,

p r o p e r I n t e r p r e t a t i o n ,

1c;

t h e evploynent

o r g m i s e r s u n d e r

c o n t r a c t o f

employment vhlch

t h e Coinrnlttee may

t e rmmace

o r d e r

t o d e c r e a s e t h e

number

employed, which

1s the obJect

t he

sub - ru l e .

SimllarP],

the number or' persons who

m e employed as organisers mal7 be i nc reased .

:'hen

:;the

n a t u r e of

t h e I n d u s t r y ,

w l t h its dependence

seasonal

conditions

ior

an lma l p roduc t ion ,

f l uc tua t lons

i n

dcifland

f rom expor t marke ts and o ther fac tors

a r e

t aken

In to

accoun t ,

t he

sub - ru l e ,

cons t rued ,

bo th

necessa ry

2nd

s e n s i b l e .

shou ld

add

t ha t

the

c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e

r u l e we

h a v e h e l d t o

c o r r e c t was

- .

_-.

apparentPJ noz argued before

E v a t t ,

/ Is

t o t h e c o n t e n t l o n

t h e a p p e l l a n t t h a ~ the

s u b - r u l e

1 s v o ~ d

as be ing con t r a ry

t o 5.140

t h e

Act, on

the construc?ion

v?e

h a v e a r r l v e d a t , t h e r e

i s

110

p o s s l l n l i t y

rhe

s u b - r u l e

o f f e n d l n g t h a t s e c t x o n .

Eaving

so cons t rued

the

rule,

t h e n e s t s t e p

to cons lde r what

orders

should

IJ?

made.

The resolution

c o n c a l n s ~ n t e r n s l e v l c l e n c c t h a t

the

Committee

reqarcied

the p~-obIcm

they

iaccd

calling;

f o r a

l ~ u s l n e s s

d e c l s l o n .

The

c r l t c x m

f o r

d ~ s ; n l s s a l s

s e l e c t e d

was

. .

./9

:.(l) ?he appeal is upheld.

( 2 )

The

r e s p o n d e n t s ,

o the r

than

the regls'iered

o rgen l sa t ion ,

and

each of chem, a r e

ordered t o observe t h e r u l e s of

che

o r s a n i s a c l o n .by

t r e a t l n g

the appel lent

and

Mr. C. Tobin a s xernbers of t h e Coiirnlttee

of i,!enayeinent

f o r the ba lance of

t h e n

tern of

o f f l c e .

[1982] FCA 283

16 Dec 1982