Retail and Fast Food Workers Union Incorporated v Tantex Holdings Pty Ltd [2020] FCA 1258

Federal Court of Australia

Retail and Fast Food Workers Union Incorporated v Tantex Holdings Pty Ltd [2020] FCA 1258 File number: QUD 703 of 2019

Judgment of: LOGAN J

Date of judgment: 31 August 2020

Catchwords: EMPLOYMENT AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – where the McDonald's Australia Enterprise Agreement 2013 (the Agreement) provides for a 10 minute paid drink on a 4 hour shift – where second applicant was not provided with 10 minute paid drink break – where respondent admitted contravention of s 50 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (the Act) – where Facebook groups were used to communicate with employees – whether employees had a right to take short drink or toilet break outside this 10 minute break – whether that right a "workplace right" for the purposes of the Act – whether respondent contravention ss 340, 343 and 345 of the Act by contents of Facebook posts written by employees

Legislation: Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) s 140 Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) ss 12, 50, 96, 97, 107, 340, 341, 342, 343, 345, 357, 360, 361, 545, 547, 551, 557, 793 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth) s 19 Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld) reg 41 Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (Vic) Sale of Goods Act 1893 (UK) s 30

Cases cited: Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (2018) 262 CLR 157 Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Molina (2020) 295 IR 414 Australian Communications and Media Authority v Mobilegate Ltd A Company Incorporated in Hong Kong (No 9) [2010] FCA 1383 Australian Competition & Consumer Commission v Francis (2004) 142 FCR 1 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Yellow Page Marketing BV (No 2) (2011) 195 FCR 1 Australian Education Union v Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology [2018] FCA 1985 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Mariner Corporation Ltd (2015) 241 FCR 502 Board of Bendigo Regional Institute of Technical and Further Education v Barclay (2012) 248 CLR 500 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Cameron v Holt (1980) 142 CLR 342 Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia v Australian Postal Corporation [2017] FCA 1091 Comptroller-General of Customs v Woodlands Enterprises Pty Ltd [1996] 1 Qd R 589 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v BHP Coal Pty Ltd (No 2) (2015) 230 FCR 298 Dafallah v Fair Work Commission (2014) 225 FCR 559 Electrolux Home Products Pty Ltd v Australian Workers' Union (2004) 221 CLR 309 Esso Australia Pty Ltd v Australian Workers' Union (2016) 245 FCR 39 Esso Australia Pty Ltd v Australian Workers' Union (2017) 263 CLR 551 Fair Work Ombudsman v Australian Workers' Union (2017) 271 IR 139 Fair Work Ombudsman v Ecosway Pty Ltd [2016] FCA 296 Finance Facilities Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (Cth) (1971) 127 CLR 106 Georges v Seaborn International (Trustee) (2012) 288 ALR 240 Georges v Seaborn International Pty Ltd (2012) 206 FCR 408 Iannella v French (1968) 119 CLR 84 L Vogel & Son Pty Ltd v Anderson (1968) 120 CLR 157 Master Education Services Pty Ltd v Ketchell (2008) 236 CLR 101 Mondelez Australia Pty Ltd v Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union; Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations v Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union [2020] HCA 29 Morton v Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (No 2) [2019] FCA 1754 Murphy v Farmer (1988) 165 CLR 19 Murphy v Overton Investments Pty Ltd (2004) 216 CLR 388 Newton v Australian Postal Corporation (No 2) (2019) 292 IR 396 Ostrowski v Palmer (2004) 218 CLR 493 Patrick Stevedores Operations No 2 Pty Ltd v Maritime Union of Australia (No 3) (1998) 195 CLR 1 Qantas Airways Ltd v Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (No 2) [2020] FCA 951 Rural Press Ltd v Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (2003) 216 CLR 53 Shipton, Anderson & Co v Weil Brother & Co [1912] 1 KB 574 Shop Distributive and Allied Employees' Association v Karellas Investments Pty Ltd (No 2) (2007) 166 IR 51 Zwiebel v Plastipak Packaging Inc 36 IER Cases 975 (Ohio: Court of Appeals, 3rd District 2013)