Albert Smith and Sons Pty Ltd v Logan [1997] ICQ 15 (1997) 155 QGIG 236

236 QUEENSLAND GOVERN;\fENT INDUSTRIAL 16 , 1997 --------·------------------------- ########################################################## ()UEE!\SLA\D iNDUSTRlAL DURT WORKERS' COMFE".;SATION ACT 199f: ,. I 1 hu]u,,iriai Reiatun:s /lr·f l~>()() ;ippe~il furn dcci-~KHl ufinJu,,:rial !l'Fli\Lrate -\!hen Smith and PtyL!d (/Vr 1• C72 r f .i 996) JUSTICE de JERSEY. FRESlDENT JUDGMEtff 30 Apiil 1997 ! ... ·_1:hc~/~!}~~!J_•.mt contends: that niat :_l 1e .s,,ul1rJ;; ..:-",,,n\ m;iy be u1.:dcr;;1,xxJ. ernp!oycd 1111):!ina.Jly . lo ;1nothtr p·)~lrion in comnanv, ~S'.-;;..:rnt)l) irad.;;; person. 1n thJt ,x:cupaill~11 . ~onipr:n~rlt~ as pa1:1 of a sign .n·:aking _prcx>.:~r.;_ pairncr awl then !'dr C;1It('.r \vnrkcd a:~ ;.in required to as,;unbk-' fv!.i Cartt:;1 wilt; 11 \Vhk h h:.id contrad \Vitti :1ssemblmg signs the ShcJ! Alb(~rt Smith and Sr,r; Clliployn-Knt v11!h !he compan:,,: }6 1997 QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT INDUSTRIAL GAZETTE lt \.vould appt:ar al~ that other p1cicess worker:, th~ othtr \vu.rkt.'r employed on \fr Carter\ tcmn on the Shd} c._:mran w:L~ 1ra11>-;fcrrc:d 1n :he \\/o,c'll'.vorth\ C~mtract KcrmcJy who \\'a,:. lhc opt:.~raiiun\ n1aruger al the tink: fvir C;..uter fini~ht:d ernplo_;,'n1em ·,vith the o~'mpnny s.nd \vho \V(Xke<l v.-1ih f"vfr Caner tor eight an.J a h;11f years wa_1.. ~iskcd if:-v1r Caner a good ~wd fai1htill \.\'Orkcr, re, \Vhich he .1eplicd, '! w,.-iuid ~1J faitnfdl.. \Vhen ibked atx.-1u1 an.v uouble he had ;,,vith .\tr (;u1,?r ht~ rephtxL 'I h;id sorn~ di_-.;cu.s.1..lrn1:a. \vith him.' He s;tatcd that \fr quality of \\/Orkrnanship \V~L" discu~cSe.ct and ~1r Cai\cr no~ s1..mable, and :-,a.id be would not improve. -..vas ahout half-\vay through his crnptoyment. ~-fr C:.111er ha., '.vcirked so1T1c five )'ears k1r tht· con1p,my :iflcr that. Therefore, it v,:nuld 2prear {:,n the evidence thai t\-1r Carter \Vas competent \Vorker tmd [\1r Carter ~tatcd \\-"i"Jtn he v.:a~ di?sn1is:-:.cJ. he \Vas :old 'It wasn't bccm1se nf hi::; wnrk.' !\·1r Carter cou!d th:refore be clas,,.,ed as kmg and fr1i!hfi..1l \Vorkcr. In lh:i., nDHLr there \:;,.-ere hi..~twccn 61 and entploycc,._ nn the prc..:h..ictiun side of the husinc:,~ in l 995. J\1r Bryson :-.tated that p:;n_:ent '-<ere trndcs ptxipk 50 pc-rcent serni skiHed p.'.T:lf._)ns, such ~-fr \V!rdst it \vouid app-.-ar th;1t the Shdl c1..mrract W~h Y1·1ndmg dovm J.t the tinK· \if !\-1r Caner's k~nninJ.tion, it \\.'as;. not fi.mshc<l altog:cther. Further 1hcn: 'Ncrc sJther _jobs that !\1r Ca11t.'T \v::is confident to pe:1i\)nn :x.: a process \vorker, other than ·--- in i)ther contracts fhe c:1ses quokd by ;\;11 l)i;,,on CiH1(.'£.Tn cuntra..:t"- th::n \'v\:..~re the ~uhs1arnial p~ut of the bu<:,:ine~:-;, frir ;_:x~trnple, in La\Y-re.no.: Burnett Proptictary Lin1ited findi,4inctJ dKTe th:.-- In:~\ or the cunirn~:t~ win1 Fo::i.scy:~ and Con1clius l~ur;_., anU t!ut cre.,1K\J. u tl11:mci?.l CTisis for die cornp;1ny !n ca:-,c the com.racb \\-er-2 regular] y lost ::..md HC\.V contract, fr.)UW.i ~U1d the l l and a half year~ ~\''lr Cartt:-.r had been employed, he had not been Lnd 01f. rhere \Vas a :..;uhsr:mtial turn--·over of cmployocf. during ccriain p,::ri~--;(b ui the '<"GH. but i\1r Caner nnt laid There w;1~ an t·rnploye~ kq.1t on from !\1r Caner's tt.:nm, v.,ho tud had le\\ '..ervice 'Alfh cnn1pa11y. retCrrc-.d !hen 10 l\\-\1 dt.\.:i-;ion,;._, Forest Prnducts of/d and 1\/!ied lndu.,;,-rrie,.:, /{)it 1· Dmi,-ru/i Ho!dmgs Pty l..:d ( 1l)l}.t·i .--'\ILR :;4~ an<l ,Meta! nnd £n;.;inf::ering \·hn"kers Union 1 Foundry t..'nginef'rs l.1d ( J 9(: l l 7 CAR ) 16. ,.vhich he said ht'icl •;tiiJt lhe di:..mi'.'..\;.ll of the long tcrrn cmployet~ contrary to the Jabour history or c:onJp;,1ny shov,e.d di:--irils.sal to IX a redundancy rather than pan of tf'"K' ordinr1sy and cu:-.turn.ary turn-oJ:rvcr of lah)ur'' He then went ;Jn express hi~ that "the disn1ls.\.i:d of ]\-Ir Caner -.va~ not n1ade in the ordm::lr) ~mo turn--ovt.::r ofbbour int.he cornpany's bu:.incs.s .. " ar nnct rhat tho-.e c.1s1:>, should nnl be read :.L-. suppGrting pro_positiun that z:fr•-.rni:;:/,;al alrer long tern1 emp1uyrnent dete_nni:L..ltiv: n:dunJa.ncy ratJ1er th}l!1 disrol~sai Js pJ.It of an ordirtlt) a_nd 1urnfn:cr uI" lab<;ur. At tesL tenninanc,n aHer !ong tenn cmployrncnl \.vould he rcdund<1ncy Bur ali the ci1 cwnstance~ of a WX' ni...>t:.:i to be ..:1.111~,ldehxi, w-ith shrn1 terrn v;z.-U as kmg kTm ernplnyee;,, in dc~iding the exception proYidefl for hy the Av/ard it the unu.JrHradicted evidence alld I.ht.. finding~ \)y th'.': ?v1:igi-;tr;}tC c::JahJi,;hed rhat it v,,,~i.s ;..i regular .-ind c01nrnon fr~Jture of t11e husinc.;s l!Jr \See c.~pe.cia..lly f·).:,.. 4 and 5.) Th.is levels nf hii~inc_c.;s \),, ~L.;; accompanied by the tcxn1i.nat1on .anJ "uh~.'.l.J1h~1H hi1~ng of suff, ge1k-r(1i1y the proce:-,..;,; worker lcvd Thi5, patten1 ,1_md '';:!hlt:lflktry'' th~~ appe.lb.nt. It gi:::nerntcd J tuniover c,f lahx1r, The re~p<Jndent l1;::, renninatlon 10 what I considered i he ~tp~xibnt (k::--crih:d rhe rt·sfl(:>ndent no1.\v1thstanding ti1<: kngth of hi:,, empk)yn-ienr, ~1;.; part of tht~ ''floatin1_:( group of \Vrxkcrs, by contnL\t \\Jith tt1t: As the adde,J "Traditionally our core '.\"ou!d rcrna.in miact and \,VOt!ld dispcnx:"'" \vith the i1oating trades as:,.,istanb ,. Thl' sarnc \vtln...:.ss c1f the. l~n11in:.1tion :--;...; part of "se..usonal adju~1rnenl.' The \,,bgi~tra:c acc.::•ptc-d. lh~t cvideni,:e. n1y n.."-:f\1::"G0Ji the. i\1ag1'>1Llh-: kt'> t(xu~d- (111 th~ length of ths: re~-:;p.:,._xh.len(-;; emp10ynk'nt, and has !ikc.ly 1:1isi.ntcrpn:ti.:d \Vhat shnuh:1 be the Vv't~~tcn1 ;\ustralian case-; A proper cx::.rrnm:ition of aH oft he circun1su.nces ind!cah.:\ de2rly that the c•nly reasonable condusKm which 1nay OC dr0.\vn frprr; the evidence i.._ that the 1c.--.pow..lc.n(5 rennination \\'HS indeed "due tc the t.Xdinary ~md cu\tom;,u-; HH11ovcr of bbour", \\-i.th the conSt."1Ut'-ilLt: d1ar sevcrn.no: \v~1.., not pay:Lbk' ! therefore aHow the appeal Jnd set '.L'\idt: the nrdt:r<\ 1n.1dc by industrial tv1agistra1e. 1 reserve the question {J.hts P de JERSEY. Pre,,tden, \fr ,A,. Herbert (insuucled hy Di!hJn:. Solicitors) i~)r the A.pi--x:lL1.J1h 1\,1r J _l\lurdoch t mstn:icted b'>' Crown Solicitor) the Resporn.. k:m. Upcratl\"t:'- Date: N./A Judf:ncnt Al~~rt Srnith and S1,1ns Ply Ltd AND Nhchne\ Lo~an Released: JO April 1997 -- 1 of 1 --