[2025] FWC 2565
General information, not legal advice.
Fair Work Commission
2025-08-29
Original judgment source is linked above.
s.185 - Application for approval of a single-enterprise agreement
AUSTRALIAN FIRE SERVICES ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT 2025
Application for approval of the Australian Fire Services Enterprise Agreement 2025
183 Entitlement of an employee organisation to have an enterprise agreement cover it
(1) After an enterprise agreement that is not a greenfields agreement is made, an employee organisation that was a bargaining representative for the proposed enterprise agreement concerned may give the FWC a written notice stating that the organisation wants the enterprise agreement to cover it.
(2) The notice must be given to the FWC, and a copy given to each employer covered by the enterprise agreement, before the FWC approves the agreement.
Note: The FWC must note in its decision to approve the enterprise agreement that the agreement covers the employee organisation (see subsection 201(2)).
"I'm writing to you to convey a message from our group of employees to let you know we've undertaken an in house vote and have decided to represent ourselves in our agreement negotiations. The group believes but this will give them the best opportunity in their unique situation. ... Included are the emails of voting employees."
"I am writing to formally notify you that Todd Bettineschi, Ben Shaw and Mario Farkas who is currently employed at Australian Fire Services have been elected by their fellow employees as representatives in the agreement process."
(a) When the employees agreed at the meeting of 7 May 2025 that they did not want the CEPU to represent them in bargaining, they had determined to revoke the CEPU as their bargaining representative.
(b) The revocation was communicated in writing to the CEPU on 13 May 2025 and the Applicant later on the same day.
(c) The employees revoked the CEPU as their default bargaining representative by written instrument when Mr Bettineschi sent the email on their behalf to the CEPU on 13 May 2025.
(d) The Act and the Fair Work Regulations 2009 (the Regulations) do not require that each individual employee is to provide an instrument of revocation to the union and to the employer.
(e) It is sufficient for the purposes of section 178A of the Act that the employees who were members of the CEPU communicate the revocation in writing through a representative.
(a) Section 176 of the Act ensures that, if the CEPU has members at the Applicant's enterprise it is a default bargaining representative, unless each of its members appoints a different bargaining representative or their status as a bargaining representative is revoked pursuant to section 178A of the Act.
(b) Section 178A provides a right to individual employees to extract themselves from having the union as their default bargaining representative, but the right operates for an individual employee.
(c) The Act provides that a revocation can only be effected by the specific mechanism of a written instrument, given by an individual employee. Any revocation pursuant to section 178A cannot be given by one employee on behalf of another.
(d) The email of 13 May 2025 cannot be a written instrument as required by section 178A of the Act. The email does not make clear what it is, it is only from one employee, does not set out how it purports to represent the group, how the group is composed, and it does not clarify if all of the employees in the undefined group unanimously agreed to revoke the status of the CEPU as a default bargaining representative.
(e) The Act requires a level of clarity and formality in revoking a default bargaining representative which the email correspondence does not provide.
(f) It accepts that the email was provided to the employer as required by the Act, and it is unlikely that it needs to be formally addressed to the employer to meet the requirement under the Act that it be given to the employer.
The CEPU as a default bargaining representative
176 Bargaining representatives for proposed enterprise agreements that are not greenfields agreements
(1) The following paragraphs set out the persons who are bargaining representatives for a proposed enterprise agreement that is not a greenfields agreement:
(a) an employer that will be covered by the agreement is a bargaining representative for the agreement;
(b) an employee organisation is a bargaining representative of an employee who will be covered by the agreement if:
(i) the employee is a member of the organisation; and
(ii) in the case where the agreement is a multi‑enterprise agreement in relation to which a supported bargaining authorisation is in operation - the organisation applied for the authorisation;
unless the employee has appointed another person under paragraph (c) as his or her bargaining representative for the agreement, or has revoked the status of the organisation as his or her bargaining representative for the agreement under subsection 178A(2); or
(c) a person is a bargaining representative of an employee who will be covered by the agreement if the employee appoints, in writing, the person as his or her bargaining representative for the agreement;
(d) a person is a bargaining representative of an employer that will be covered by the agreement if the employer appoints, in writing, the person as his or her bargaining representative for the agreement.
(b) an official of an employee organisation (whether acting in that capacity or otherwise);
cannot be a bargaining representative of an employee unless the organisation is entitled to represent the industrial interests of the employee in relation to work that will be performed under the agreement.
(4) To avoid doubt and despite subsection (3), an employee who will be covered by the agreement may appoint, under paragraph (1)(c), himself or herself as his or her bargaining representative for the agreement.
(a) The CEPU member for whom the CEPU is a default bargaining representative appoints in writing, pursuant to section 176(1)(c) of the Act, another person as his or her bargaining representative; or
(b) Pursuant to section 178A(2) of the Act, the employee for whom the CEPU is the default bargaining representative revokes, by written instrument, the status of the CEPU as the default bargaining representative for the Agreement.
Whether the Employee Bargaining Representatives were validly appointed under the Act
178 Appointment of bargaining representatives - other matters
When appointment of a bargaining representative comes into force
(1) An appointment of a bargaining representative comes into force on the day specified in the instrument of appointment.
Copies of instruments of appointment must be given
(2) A copy of an instrument of appointment of a bargaining representative for a proposed enterprise agreement must:
(a) for an appointment made by an employee who will be covered by the agreement - be given to the employee's employer; and
(b) for an appointment made by an employer that will be covered by a proposed enterprise agreement that is not a greenfields agreement - be given, on request, to a bargaining representative of an employee who will be covered by the agreement; and
(c) for an appointment made by an employer that will be covered by a proposed single‑enterprise agreement that is a greenfields agreement - be given, on request, to an employee organisation that is a bargaining representative for the agreement.
Regulations may prescribe matters relating to qualifications and appointment
(3) The regulations may prescribe matters relating to the qualifications or appointment of bargaining representatives.
"In my view the legislation referable to the appointment of a bargaining representative in these circumstances should be interpreted liberally. The Act is intended to be accessible to employers large and small, as well as to employees both in their own capacity and through union membership. It is intended to assist relevant parties and facilitate the processes contemplated by the Act, including negotiation of enterprise agreements. The role of bargaining representative is clearly significant, however I consider that, in relation to the circumstances relevant to such appointments, the key factor is that there be attendant certainty upon the creation of the role rather than a requirement of overt formality. ... ... Provided the appointment is made in writing, ...and provided it clearly evidences the creation of the role, the appointment is effective."[6]
"There is no restriction on when a person may appoint a bargaining representative. This means, for example, that during bargaining, an employee who is a member of an employee organisation may appoint his or her own bargaining representative with the effect that the automatic appointment of the employee organisation as that employee's bargaining representative will cease to apply." (emphasis added.)
Whether the employees revoked the representation of the CEPU pursuant to section 178A of the Act
"I [insert witness name] Was at a meeting that took place on the 7th of May 2025, at this meeting we discussed removing the CEPU as our bargaining representatives, all the employees at this meeting decided we did not want the CEPU to represent us as part of bargaining for our next enterprise agreement. At this meeting we also elected bargaining representatives that would represent us in negotiation. Pursuant to section 178A of the Fair Work Act 2009 we asked one of our bargaining representatives Todd Bettineschi to inform the CEPU and AFS [the Applicant] on our behalf that we were revoking the CEPU as our bargaining reps for our upcoming negotiations this was provided in writing to the CEPU organiser Adrian Valente on the 13th of May 2025 and we informed Shayne Bennett from AFS on the 19th of May 2025."[11]
178A Revocation of appointment of bargaining representatives etc.
(1) The appointment of a bargaining representative for an enterprise agreement may be revoked by written instrument.
(2) If a person would, apart from this subsection, be a bargaining representative of an employee for an enterprise agreement because of the operation of paragraph 176(1)(b) or subsection 176(2) (which deal with employee organisations), the employee may, by written instrument, revoke the person's status as the employee's bargaining representative for the agreement.
(3) A copy of an instrument under subsection (1) or (2):
(a) for an instrument made by an employee who will be covered by the agreement - must be given to the employee's employer; and
(b) for an instrument made by an employer that will be covered by a proposed enterprise agreement, other than a single‑enterprise agreement that is a greenfields agreement - must be given to the bargaining representative and, on request, to a bargaining representative of an employee who will be covered by the agreement.
(3A) A copy of an instrument under subsection (1) made by an employer that will be covered by a proposed single‑enterprise agreement that is a greenfields agreement must be given to the bargaining representative and, on request, to an employee organisation that is a bargaining representative for the agreement.
(4) The regulations may prescribe matters relating to the content or form of the instrument of revocation, or the manner in which the copy of the instrument may be given.
"I'm writing to you to convey a message from our group of employees to let you know we've undertaken an in house vote and have decided to represent ourselves in our agreement negotiations. The group believes that this will give them the best opportunity in their unique situation. ... Included are the emails of voting employees."

R Carnelutti of the National Fire Industry Association, with S Bennett on behalf of Australian Fire Services Pty Ltd.
J Fox on behalf of the Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia.
[1] Statements of Ben Greutner, Mario Farkas, Ben Shaw and Todd Bettineschi.
[3] Audio recording of the hearing at 14:39.
[7] Kaizen Hospitals (Essendon) Pty Ltd; Kaizen Hospitals (Malvern) Pty Ltd; Kaizen Hospitals (Mount District) Pty Ltd v Australian Nursing Federation [2012] FWAFB 8866.
[9] Audio recording of the hearing at 16:41.
[10] That could include themselves as a bargaining representative.
[11] The witnesses were not required for cross examination and their statements were accepted as evidence.
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