redundancy

Port Kembla Coal Terminal Ltd v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union [2016] FCAFC 99

INDUSTRIAL LAW – Redundancy – Agreement clause requiring recourse to “redeployment and voluntary redundancy” – Whether employer obliged to offer redundancy separation to employees whose positions continued to exist – Agreement clause requiring investigation of “all avenues to avoid forced redundancies, including the reduction of contractors” – Whether confined to contractors engaged on fulltime, permanent, basis – Whether employer had undertaken investigation.

INDUSTRIAL LAW – Obligation to consult where introduction of “change” being considered – Whether change was “major” – Whether introduction of change being “considered” – Potential impact of change on dayworkers – Whether employed on day shift – Whether “a change to the numbers of employees per shift.”

INDUSTRIAL LAW – Adverse action – Dismissed of employee – Whether done because of employee’s position as officer of trade union or his having engaged in industrial activity – Reasons of decisionmaker – Onus of proof – Credibility of witness.

EVIDENCE – Credibility of witnesses – Witnesses’ evidence rejected for reasons which included their failure to refer, in their affidavits, to documents and facts which were unhelpful to their case – Whether they testified that their affidavits were comprehensive – Whether they were given sufficient warning that their omissions might result in the rejection of their evidence.

INDUSTRIAL LAW – Remedies – Reinstatement – Whether available where position previously occupied no longer existed.

Lisa Doust appeared for the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union