Australian Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, Queensland Branch, Union of Employees v Children's Services Employers Association and Others [1998] ICQ 17 (1998) 158 QGIG 310

0 GAZETTE 3 of indu;-:ti hJ c0n1rnission ANf) }997) 2:l Jum, lUDUMENT INDUSHUAL GAZETTE tirne. In legi:-;lat.i~)li der.. ilng to he- just and rn,:-y indude m an award any pnYlision or exp:;;i:.hent dealing 1.vi\h induf-:tria.l rnati.er in question, Kir.dergart.t'n Rct~r;:,rF-.:t', was also rnad.e to th~-:,: spec1fi_c juri;;.dictinn of the mn""''"'"' (vih1:.::h 30 ni.inuts:s rx~r d:~y pai{i rucai bre.ak). to consohd.th~ aw~nl,: s. so as is n:-kvant provi£k;;:- ''on ;'!pphcation hy an Jrn.iustriai organisation nr an t"rnptoys:r consGhthte ~\v:ud - rnalCing ::.11eh ~1rnendrnenr.;;; therein (.t.S consider~ e.,t~ctm,m 1nake. acl! a.v..,·ard..."> bin.ding aff;;::.ct1ng e1npi,)yer nK:nlh~rs ot or e-rnployer rn any caHiug or callings, organJsatlon en11-1loye.ct by t.\c c.rnpluy-cr 1i.vht:1r.: ,-.::uch e-rnploy er or cJ as~ ~uch rnen1ben :s are suhjt'ct rmxe than P.c·nch:- it prov-;tlw tbt' be- n:quired tr, work paym0nt for the meal break w!ll ce;;s,,; as that date unpioy.:x~_-.-; wiH be ret1ufrt:d ~.:vork The tkdsk)n . ~ --· - · ,.. , ~ Iht ix:e.n requin-:d meal break, Fli:ally lr dw productin!l 1 i -- 1 of 2 -- 312 QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INDUSTRIAL GAZETTE 'ih~ appeal which is t,·urrently before the cnurt is essentlaHy an appea1 a.gain,_;,:,t the decision given on 11 l)ecf~mhe:1 1996. I~ is w'i':h fi.,~spect to that d.t:,j.s,iou that it is alivgcd th3t the Cvrnn1i8sion t:rre.d in law in the ways outhm:d abo\·e. The appeal Si:'t<-ks to have the A.°11/ard varit>d hy providh1g that for fuU-tirne. teach:::rs under the ~t\w~u-d "the weekly .n1te of pay be incrt•.;1:sed hy 1175th of ·the weekly rak'' applic,:\blc>. irnn:H~t,hatdy prior to the 11H.:re~t.\e in 'Norking hours from T7,5 to 38 per \ve-.~k Ch?ady suz;h an ;:-1.ppeaJ is out of ti1ne. hut .none of tht: resprmdents ti.Jok any p•,:fint in that reg;.:trd 111_ the eircun::tstance_,~ l prop<)St:': to consider thc- subnrl~sions on their n1t-:.rit•L ·nH:: passages I have 4tJtJte:d above frorn: the original dcci5ion of the Fun Bench ckady e.-;tabiish irt rny view that the n1e.rnber.~ uraderst<.Jcxi the effo,:;:t of their decision, 'I1H~rc \Vas the cre-a.tion of a new _/..\v~u).i and --•:tandardisatltm of nmditions of c1npioyrncnt. in. particular -.;vith rc.s,r,ed t() the hours aU e-1nph1yet-~ snhject to the A.w~vd could be rt:"quire,d. to 1,vork per week fvfany ernpl,;:>yct.'::i \Vere to recdve lnc.rea.sed wages for W<Jr.king less hours. lt was impc;rtant for the Cornmis,;,;km to have regard to cost 1ninimi~ation considerations in the indu~try, Though the Fnl! Brnch did not in iL5 decision say th~it it "expres,:;ly siJ de.ck-1res" that there \Vere "exceptional drnnns\imce-.s'' justifying not incre:a5ing the 'Nage leve.1 for tead1ers requfreJ. t.:, work an oxtra half-hour pt,r week, that, in my view, was inherem m their rea~o-ning: a reacting of the whole of t.he judgn1ent 0f the Fuil Bc-nch establish,,, Illa! the,y cffoctivecly found ,u,<l dechred that the standardisation of the A.ward constituted exccptionaJ circurn'11ances justifying the decision ilH:'.y reached. Thi:,. of t:ourse ~ _is not an appeal 011 the rnt:rits; sec 1<.1r exa1npk: ~ Powr;r Breiving Company Lid v FLAJEU ()99l) 137 QGiG 569 e-~p-eciaHy at 57fl Having carcfuHy considered the argurr1.ent addressed to the court on behalf of the appeHam I am nPl per~ua,fod that the, Full Bench erred in law in falling t.:-_; recognise and apply tl1e t)bjcds of the h~gt&lation when dckrtn.in!ng the 1st:"Ut\;;; before ii, tncludlng tl-1e dt'cision tha1 frh:Te should be no a.iteration in the vlage p~iy~ilile to klndc:rgarte-u teachers beca.u.se they vve.re hen...,c:forth ohEged. to \Vork .-:t8 hours pt>r week iiu,t.ead Gf 37 ..'1. The prz;se.nt rlj)p.:Em1t, at the ht'.iring ht"fore the Full Bench, sought such a i,,vage ~justrne-nt to rt~tlr,d that ,_-J.1ange but it v-./as not grank-<l Ck~arly one of the rrsa.'>:•.)ns given by the (\' 1n!mis.-.::ion fpr not J.cced]ng ro that subru.is~lo.n was th;;it thi," particular <le(,ision wa,\ but pa.tt rif an ov(;,r:aH pack.1g::; fOr th;_: 1ndustry and tb?it it \.VJS im~xtant to have rbgard to cos:t n1.inifrri~zuion n1easure-.~: tn.-..c.ause of tht~ irnpq.ci. nf the ridu.ction in \vorking hours fer the gre:-:Jer rn.nTJhcr ,of e.n111ioy{•-c,,;; in ihe industry. 111.at wa:-: om". of the fat.:iors \Vhich resulted in :he incffJ.1e frorn 37, 5 to 33 hours per w,~ek he-iug phased in; ~hl~ A~.vard g•.::n:~r;:tUy <2c-nunencr.~ frc-rn l Ja.nuary 1997 but t.h.at particula:i _proviYion ouly bt:ca.1ri~ (,ffective frorn 1 .hmua.ry i 998. f ?..In &fao net pers:.1,:Hie<l that th~~re- i~ any in;::oILi;i:--:tency bi:::tW1;\e,n the provisions of the Award in qu~>;_.;:tion ;:md th,;;; Genrr;1.l Ruling providing for a $ l O safety net increa;_;e ::::ffcctive frn1n 1 Septen1ber 1997. Teachers eff1ploycd fuH-tin.1e pursuant to 1he new Award received the fuH h0nefit of that ~afety ne: inn-eit~e_: that is, tht·-h .actual wctgc was increased hy fr.1ar a1noon~ 1t rnay Wt~-H be th;-ti te.itchers employed u:;..xm a pMt-ti:rnt- ,;Jr casual bd.-,i~ \.VC-H' .'.OlnewhaJ di:-?Alh·,1n!ttgcd in that U1t~y got a ks5:er incit~<t-.c lhan othervnse thc:y n1ight hav2 rc1..:t.,-rvcd But that dues nut xni7an that ther0 is ,nch ~ii~ ia)cousistency between HH; fi'uB Bench de.dslon nf 11 J)ecemhc.r 1996 and ths:; lattr G;;;:neral Ruling ~o that the ea.riil~r decision is vitiated. F•'irral.ly .1 return to -;, 35(2). UHinH.k:-ly 1 h:tYz"- CO!J\e to the co::ndusion th{~t tht~ :·1pp~:Hu.rn has not dc.nH)nstrated an error of iaiv on rhc part of the FuH 3.:nch in 1hat H. has not esuhhsht:,_i a failwt; ~o coniply V>/lth the rc:quin:.·-n1ents of that scct1on. h is no? ent1n~-iy dear that the sectiou -1.pphe.~; in the circuni~tanc:-s of this. ca~e. tf it d{x~s zq.,,1)ly {hen., absent a dtclaranon of c:t.cep,tionaJ cir-:;unl.~lai)C~~s. th~ 1l\:.1v _Award for the C-J.Hing rnust be at ka.•,;t eqnd to that fixed hy 1ht' other e,utier award. Ht,re. at l:~;1.5:t so far aB wa:;; revealed by the arguni;tnt, thz: new Award for t.:achers w.:is ht lea<;! equal to that 1.vhich had hlthert,_, ;1.pplied unJ:::r any rekvant award for t&1.chers in tht:: child care in<lustry, Certainly the.re was nn evidence l.o th~ contrary., and ]n D~)r;sequcncf: no basis for :making a finding that 1h~ dedsi0n of tht'- .Frill Bc-nch hA.d not sat is.tied me re-quirc.rncnts of,,. 35(2). But even ifs. 35(2) ;1.pphi.::d, and a.s~tnnlng that tLc new Aw~ud was not "at least {XfUai to the prices or 1~1tes fixed by the- •ather Award•\ I arn of the view ttHil t:-.ftecfrvdy th,:. .FuH Bench h.Yund rhat tlwre w0re- ext;cptiona1 circumstances in this part)cuLit case jusuty1ng the dc,::isie:)n r~:achdd, In the pas~;age., yaot_;:d above frorn the reasoning of the FuH Bench it is ck.ar that ",2,xceptional o:.:irr:11nist.:1n£:es'' \¾'e.re found and Wf:re being cxpn~:siiy sta.te-d. As already obser~1cd, an ex_press declaration of such exceptional 1.,'ircum.\1" ·~•·· was inherent in the fe'.il."lons. .ancq for aH of tho:se rea.sons no ..:~rror rl law h-:.t.i heen de.rnonstrated Si.1£:h .-·,, would jus:t1fy th.l-<_-: court in n1iking dw ordt:rs sought hy th~ <~PI-1eilant - -..: The appc,J should be dimiis5ed, Dated this hvu11y-third day of June, 1998, G, WILLIAMS. Prn,,ident Appea.rances:- ~fr R. Reed for Au.,,rtrahan I jquor,, Ho.\·pitahty mui Iv.tisceHaneous Work;:r: Union, Queensland Bnmch, Union of Employees forth, Apr•;,llant ,, ,, Mr S. Nance for the Quccmlund Chamber of Commerce and Indu,trv Linllt.ed, lndustrial ()rga,n.tsatl.on of En1ployc-rs and the, Cbtldrcn 1 s Scr:i~:" EnqJ!oyers Asscl<Oiation Queensland Union of Employers, Mr RJ, Livingstone.. with him \fa N. T,ylnr {of Livingstone, Au,trnli~\ v, the Queensland Pnva!e Cbildcare Centres Ernpioye.rs ()rganisatio~ ~~ Que,,mland lndustnal Organisation of Employer.,. h.1r J.C. Patti (of Patti Jones and Associates) on hehaif df the ChHd (\;.rf lndt.1,try Association of Queensland. Rdcmed: 23 Jurn, 1998 July, \998 QlJEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INDUSTRIAL GAZETTE 313 ___.....---,,-------- -- 2 of 2 --