Fair Work Act 2009_

s.185 - Enterprise agreement

Application for approval of the Malteurop Australia Operators Enterprise Agreement 2014 - signature requirements - Reg. 2.06A - application dismissed.

[1] An application has been made by Malteurop Australia Pty Ltd (Applicant) for approval of an enterprise agreement known as the Malteurop Australia Enterprise Agreement 2014 (Agreement). The application was made pursuant to s.185 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act). The Agreement is a single-enterprise agreement.

[2] The "Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union" known as the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) lodged a Form F18 - Declaration of Employee Organisation in Relation to Application for Approval of Enterprise Agreement (Form F18) giving notice that it was a bargaining representative for the Agreement. However, the Form F18 also stated that the AMWU did not support approval of the Agreement as:

"The Union does not believe that this agreement provides appropriate terms and conditions of employment for our members in comparison with industry standards and therefore will not be signing the agreement."

[3] The matter was listed for a hearing on 4 April 2014 but neither the Applicant nor anyone from the AMWU attended. The AMWU subsequently sent an email to chambers which amongst other things said "To be clear the AMWU does not oppose the approval of the Malteurop Agreement."

[4] Section 185 of the Act provides that:

"185 Bargaining representative must apply for the FWC's approval of an enterprise agreement

(1) If an enterprise agreement is made, a bargaining representative for the agreement must apply to the FWC for approval of the agreement.

(1A) Despite subsection (1), if the agreement is a greenfields agreement, the application must be made by:

(b) a relevant employee organisation that is covered by the agreement.

(b) any declarations that are required by the procedural rules to accompany the application.

(3) If the agreement is not a greenfields agreement, the application must be made:

(b) if in all the circumstances the FWC considers it fair to extend that period - within such further period as the FWC allows.

(4) If the agreement is a greenfields agreement, the application must be made within 14 days after the agreement is made.

(5) The regulations may prescribe requirements relating to the signing of enterprise agreements." (underlining added)

[5] Regulation 2.06A of the Fair Work Regulations prescribes the requirements relating to the signing of enterprise agreements. Specifically, the Regulation 2.06A states:

"Division 4 - Approval of enterprise agreements

2.06A Bargaining representative must apply for FWC approval of an enterprise agreement - requirements for signing agreement

(1) For subsection 185(5) of the Act, this regulation prescribes the requirements for the signing of an enterprise agreement.

(2) For paragraph 185(2)(a) of the Act, a copy of an enterprise agreement is a signed copy only if:

(ii) at least 1 representative of the employees covered by the agreement; and

(i) the full name and address of each person who signs the agreement; and

(ii) an explanation of the person's authority to sign the agreement.

Note: Paragraph 185(2)(a) of the Act requires an application for approval of an enterprise agreement to be accompanied by a signed copy of the agreement." (underlining added)

[6] The signed agreement attached to the application did not meet the requirements of s.185(2)(a) of the Act as it did not include the full name and address of each person who signed the agreement nor an explanation of some of the signatories authority to sign the agreement as required by Regulation 2.06A.

[7] As the requirements of s.185(2)(b) have not been complied with the application is not a valid application. The application is therefore dismissed.

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