Willard Logistics Pty Ltd T/A Geelong Concrete Pumpers

[2015] FWCA 796

[2015] FWCA 796

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION

Fair Work Act 2009
s.185 - Application for approval of a single-enterprise agreement

Willard Logistics Pty Ltd T/A Geelong Concrete Pumpers
(AG2015/1701)

GEELONG CONCRETE PUMPING AND THE CFMEU CONCRETE PUMPERS INDUSTRY ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT 2011-2015

Building, metal and civil construction industries
SENIOR DEPUTY PRESIDENT WATSON	MELBOURNE, 4 FEBRUARY 2015

Application for approval of the Geelong Concrete Pumping and the CFMEU Concrete Pumpers Industry Enterprise Agreement 2011-2015.

[1] An application has been made for approval of an enterprise agreement known as the Geelong Concrete Pumping and the CFMEU Concrete Pumpers Industry Enterprise Agreement 2011-2015 (the Agreement). The application was made pursuant to s.185 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act). It has been made by Willard Logistics Pty Ltd T/A Geelong Concrete Pumpers. The agreement is a single-enterprise agreement.

[2] The application was not lodged within 14 days after the agreement was made. Pursuant to s.185(3)(b), in all the circumstances I consider it fair to extend the time for making the application to the date it was actually made.

[3] In my view, the Consultation Mechanisms provision in clause 8 of the Agreement is not a consultation term which meets the requirements of ss.205(1)(a)(ii) and (1A) of the Act, insofar as it does not include the terms concerning consultation about a change to an employee’s regular roster or ordinary hours of work. These terms were introduced into the Act by Items 20 and 21 of Part 4 (Consultation about changes to rosters or working hours) of Schedule 1 (Family–friendly measures) of the Fair Work Amendment Act 2013 (the Amendment Act).Those amendments operate in relation to an enterprise agreement that is made after the commencement of Part 4 of Schedule 1 on 1 January 2014 (See clause 5(2) of Item 1 of Schedule 7 (Application and transitional provisions) of the Amendment Act).

[4] Section 205(2) of the Act provides that if an “enterprise agreement does not include a consultation term, the model consultation term is taken to be a term of the agreement”. The model consultation term is found in Schedule 2.3 of the Fair Work Regulations 2009.

[5] As required by s.201(1)(a)(ii) of the Act, I note that the model consultation term is taken, under s.205(2), to be a term of the Agreement.

[6] I am satisfied that each of the requirements of ss.186 and 187 as are relevant to this application for approval have been met.

[7] The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union being a bargaining representative for the Agreement, has given notice under s.183 of the Act that it wants the Agreement to cover it. In accordance with s.201(2), I note that the Agreement covers the organisation.

[8] The Agreement is approved and, in accordance with s.54, will operate from 11 February 2015. The nominal expiry date of the Agreement is 31 March 2015.

SENIOR DEPUTY PRESIDENT

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