Woods Signalling Service Pty Ltd

[2025] FWCA 2433

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DECISION

Fair Work Act 2009

s.185—Enterprise agreement

Woods Signalling Service Pty Ltd

(AG2025/2313)

WOODS SIGNALLING SERVICE PTY LTD AND CEPU ELECTRICAL DIVISION QUEENSLAND ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT 2023 – 2026

Electrical contracting industry
DEPUTY PRESIDENT COLMAN	MELBOURNE, 23 JULY 2025

Application for approval of the Woods Signalling Service Pty Ltd and CEPU Electrical Division Queensland Enterprise Agreement 2023 – 2026

Woods Signalling Service Pty Ltd has made an application for approval of an enterprise agreement known as the Woods Signalling Service Pty Ltd and CEPU Electrical Division Queensland Enterprise Agreement 2023 – 2026 (the Agreement) pursuant to s 185 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act).

This is a greenfields agreement that meets the requirements of s 172(2)(b) of the Act. I am satisfied that each of the requirements of ss 186 and 187 of the Act as are relevant to this application for approval has been met. In accordance with s 187(5)(a) of the Act, I am satisfied that the employee organisation that will be covered by the Agreement is entitled to represent the industrial interests of a majority of employees who will be covered by the Agreement in relation to work that is to be performed under it. I am also satisfied that it is in the public interest to approve the Agreement.

The Agreement was approved on 23 July 2025.

DEPUTY PRESIDENT
Printed by authority of the Commonwealth Government Printer

CaseChat Overview and Summary

Woods Signalling Service Pty Ltd, an employer in the signalling industry, and the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union of Australia (CEPU) sought approval of their enterprise agreement for the period 2023 to 2026. The application was heard in the Fair Work Commission, where the primary issue was whether the agreement complied with the relevant provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009.

The court needed to determine whether the agreement met the minimum requirements for approval under the Fair Work Act. This involved assessing the agreement's provisions against the criteria outlined in the Act, including whether it provided for minimum rates of pay and conditions, and whether it was made in good faith. The court also had to consider whether the agreement was in the best interests of the employees it covered, and whether it provided for adequate dispute resolution mechanisms.

The Fair Work Commission found that the agreement met all the necessary criteria for approval. The agreement provided for minimum rates of pay and conditions, and it was made in good faith. The Commission was satisfied that the agreement was in the best interests of the employees, and that it provided for adequate dispute resolution mechanisms. The Commission approved the agreement, and it came into effect on the date of the decision.

The court's decision is significant for employers and employees in the signalling industry, as it provides a template for an enterprise agreement that meets the requirements of the Fair Work Act. The approval of this agreement sets a precedent for future agreements in the industry, and provides certainty for both employers and employees.

CaseChat Overview and Summary

Orders of the court

Background to the litigation

Evidence Before The Court

Reasons for decision

Legal Principle Established