Western Murray Irrigation Limited

[2013] FWCA 8738

[2013] FWCA 8738

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION

Fair Work Act 2009
s.222 - Application for approval of a termination of an enterprise agreement

Western Murray Irrigation Limited
(AG2013/11009)

WESTERN MURRAY IRRIGATION LIMITED ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT 2010

Water, sewerage and drainage services
COMMISSIONER MCKENNA	SYDNEY, 7 NOVEMBER 2013

Application for termination of the Western Murray Irrigation Limited Enterprise Agreement 2010.

[1] An application has been made for approval of the termination an enterprise agreement known as the Western Murray Irrigation Limited Enterprise Agreement 2010 (“the Agreement”). The application has been made pursuant to s.222 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (“the Act”) by Western Murray Irrigation Limited (“the applicant”).

[2] Section 223 of the Act sets out the provisions relevant to the termination of an enterprise agreement pursuant to an application made under s.222:

“223 When the FWC must approve a termination of an enterprise agreement

If an application for the approval of a termination of an enterprise agreement is made under section 222, the FWC must approve the termination if:

(a) the FWC is satisfied that each employer covered by the agreement complied with subsection 220(2) (which deals with giving employees a reasonable opportunity to decide etc.) in relation to the agreement; and

(b) the FWC is satisfied that the termination was agreed to in accordance with whichever of subsection 221(1) or (2) applies (those subsections deal with agreement to the termination of different kinds of enterprise agreements by employee vote); and

(c) the FWC is satisfied that there are no other reasonable grounds for believing that the employees have not agreed to the termination; and

(d) the FWC considers that it is appropriate to approve the termination taking into account the views of the employee organisation or employee organisations (if any) covered by the agreement.”

[3] The General Manager of the applicant provided a statutory declaration which outlined the reasons for the proposed termination (which focussed on the making of a new enterprise agreement) and the voting process undertaking taken for the employees to approve the termination of the Agreement.

[4] The views of the Australian Workers’ Union (“AWU”), as an employee organisation covered by the Agreement, were sought in relation to the application for termination. The AWU expressed no objection to the termination of the Agreement.

[5] Having considered the requirements set out in s.223 of the Act in the context of the evidence and submissions, the termination of the Agreement is approved. The termination of the Agreement will operate from six days after the date of this decision, in circumstances where the new enterprise agreement (the Western Murray Irrigation Limited Enterprise Agreement 2013 to 2016) will operate from seven days after today’s date.

COMMISSIONER

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