United Voice v Berkeley Challenge Pty Limited [2018] FCA 224

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

United Voice v Berkeley Challenge Pty Limited [2018] FCA 224 File number: QUD 217 of 2016

Judge: REEVES J

Date of judgment: 2 March 2018

Catchwords: INDUSTRIAL LAW – application for compensation under s 545 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FWA) due to alleged breaches of the National Employment Standard – where the employer terminated the employment of various employees after losing a client contract for services which those employees performed – where the employer provided a notice letter to the employees advising them of the loss of client contract – whether this notice letter was a valid notice of termination under s 117 of the FWA – where the employer did not pay redundancy payments to the terminated employees – where the employer sought to rely on the "ordinary and customary turnover of labour" exception in s 119(1)(a) of the FWA – the meaning of this exception and whether it applied in the circumstances

Legislation: Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth) Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (Cth) Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth) Employment Protection Act 1982 (NSW)

Cases cited: AB v State of Western Australia (2011) 244 CLR 390; [2011] HCA 42 Alcan (NT) Alumina Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Territory Revenue (Northern Territory) (2009) 239 CLR 27; [2009] HCA 41 Alphapharm Pty Limited v H Lundbeck A/S (2014) 254 CLR 247; [2014] HCA 42 Amcor Limited v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (2005) 222 CLR 241; [2005] HCA 10 Barclay v Board of Bendigo Regional Institute of Technical and Further Education (2011) 191 FCR 212; [2011] FCAFC 14 Burton Group Ltd v Smith [1977] IRLR 351 Carr v State of Western Australia (2007) 232 CLR 138; [2007] HCA 47 Certain Lloyd's Underwriters v Cross (2012) 248 CLR 378; [2012] HCA 56 Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia v Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd (2012) 250 CLR 503; [2012] HCA 55 Compass Group (Aust) Pty Ltd v National Union of Workers (2015) 253 IR 32; [2015] FWCFB 8040 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v Mammoet Australia Pty Ltd (2013) 248 CLR 619; [2013] HCA 36 Dagger v Shepherd [1946] KB 215 FBIS International Protective Services (Aust) v Maritime Union of Australia (2015) 232 FCR 1; [2015] FCAFC 90 IW v City of Perth (1997) 191 CLR 1 National Union of Workers v Compass Group Pty Ltd [2015] FWC 6055 Newcrest Mining Ltd v Thornton (2012) 248 CLR 555; [2012] HCA 60 Nojin v Commonwealth (2012) 208 FCR 1; [2012] FCAFC 192 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 Richardson v ACT Health and Community Care Service (2000) 100 FCR 1; [2000] FCA 654 Saeed v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2010) 241 CLR 252; [2010] HCA 23 Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees' Assn (N.S.W.) v Countdown Stores (1983) 7 IR 273 Termination, Change and Redundancy Case (1984) 8 IR 34 Termination, Change and Redundancy Case (1984) 9 IR 115 Thiess v Collector of Customs (2014) 250 CLR 664; [2014] HCA 12 Transport Workers Union v Veolia Environmental Service (Aust) Pty Ltd [2013] NSWIRComm 22 Victims Compensation Fund Corporation v Brown (2003) 201 ALR 260; [2003] HCA 54 Stewart A, Forsyth A, Irving M, Johnstone R and McCrystal S, Creighton & Stewart's Labour Law (6th ed, The Federation Press, 2016) Macquarie Dictionary (6th ed, Macquarie Dictionary Publishers Pty Ltd, 2013) McCarry GJ, Termination of Employment Contracts by Notice (1986) 60 ALJ 78 Productivity Commission, Workplace Relations Framework (Productivity Commission Inquiry Report No. 76, 30 November 2015), Volume 1, p 78