Emwest Products Pty Ltd v Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing & Kindred Industries Union [2002] FCA 61

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Emwest Products Pty Ltd v Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing & Kindred Industries Union [2002] FCA 61

INDUSTRIAL LAW – application for injunction to restrain industrial action – whether a union can "engage in" industrial action for the purposes of s 170MN of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth) – existence of a certified agreement, the nominal expiry date of which has not passed – scope of s 170MN prohibition – whether prohibition against industrial action for the purpose of advancing claims in respect of matters not agreed in the certified agreement WORDS & PHRASES – "engage in" – "in respect of the employment of employees whose employment is subject to the agreement"

Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth), ss 3, 4(8), 170L, 170MN Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth), s 15AA

Davids Distribution Pty Ltd v National Union of Workers (1999) 91 FCR 463 considered Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia v Laing (1998) 89 FCR 17 referred Australian Paper Limited v Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia (1998) 81 IR 15 cited Skilled Engineering Limited v Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union (2001) 108 IR 116 referred Kilpatrick Green Pty Ltd v The Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia [1998] FCA 559 followed Canberra Hospital v Australian Nursing Federation [2001] FCA 1473 cited Keppel Prince Engineering Pty Ltd v AFMEPKIU [2001] FCA 1637 cited The Original Juice Co Pty Limited v Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union [2001] FCA 675 referred Hayman Reese a Division of Trimas Corporation Pty Ltd v AFMEPKIU [2001] FCA 1279 cited Hayman Reese a Division of Trimas Corporation Pty Ltd v AFMEPKIU (No 2) [2001] FCA 1328 cited BHP Steel (AIS) Pty Ltd v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (2000) 102 IR 275 cited Email Ltd v Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union [2000] FCA 1932 referred Pioneer Concrete Services Ltd v Galli [1985] VR 675 referred Ashbury v Reid [1961] WAR 49 considered Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Doyle (2001) 38 ACSR 606 referred R v Lam (1990) 46 A Crim R 402 referred R v Tannous (1987) 10 NSWLR 303 referred R v Buckett (1985) 132 ALR 669 referred Yorke v Lucas (1983) 49 ALR 672 cited Theiss Contractors Pty Ltd v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union [1999] FCA 407, (1999) 92 IR 221 referred Belan v National Union of Workers [2001] FCA 724 cited Cooper Brookes (Wollongong) Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1981) 147 CLR 297 applied Miller v University of New South Wales [2000] FCA 1563 referred Amcor Packaging (Australia) Pty Ltd v Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union [1999] VSC 434 cited ACI Operations Pty Ltd v Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing & Kindred Industries Union (2000) 96 IR 228 cited Greg McCarry "Industrial Action under the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth)" (1997) 10 Australian Journal of Labour Law 133 EMWEST PRODUCTS PTY LTD T/AS EMAIL METERING (ABN 78 002 894 224) v AUTOMOTIVE, FOOD, METALS, ENGINEERING, PRINTING & KINDRED INDUSTRIES UNION V 985 of 2001 KENNY J 6 FEBRUARY 2002 MELBOURNE