John Bastian v Noel Ashely Brent & ors practising under the business name PriceWaterhouseCoopers & Ors. [2001] NSWIRComm 316

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : John Bastian v Noel Ashely Brent & ors practising under the business name PriceWaterhouseCoopers & Ors. [2001] NSWIRComm 316 PARTIES : John Bastian v Noel Ashley Brent & Ors practising under the business name PriceWaterhouseCoopers & Ors FILE NUMBER: IRC 2078 of 2000 CORAM: Haylen J Unfair contract - s 106 - international operation of group of companies - relationship between number of companies in group - transfer of employment - whether new contract or secondment - whether resignation from employment in Australia - representations as to continued employment - conditions of transfer to position in Singapore - jurisdiction - proper law of the contract - whether work with Singapore company sufficiently connected with New South Wales - objects and operation of joint venture company - termination of employment in Singapore - whether termination for cause - whether termination a redundancy - position not filled following termination - company performing below projections - identity of Australian employer - role of service company administering payroll - unfairness in manner in which contract entered - unfairness in provision of inadequate notice of termination - contract becomes unfair in its operation - mitigation - payment of discretionary bonus - loss on motor vehicle sold in Singapore - whether loss on motor vehicle compensable loss - contract and arrangement unfair - orders proposed for payment representing 10 months' salary on full package CATCHWORDS :

LEGISLATION CITED : Industrial Relations Act 1996 s 106 Baker v National Distribution Services Ltd (1993) 50 IR 254 at 271 - 272 Brown & ors v Rezitis & ors (1970) 127 CLR 157 Chrysler Jeep Automotive Distributors (Aust) Pty Ltd v Canberra Star Motors Pty Ltd (1997) 79 IR 452 David Jones Ltd v Cukeric (1997) 78 IR 430 at 462 Davies v General Transport Development Pty Ltd (1967) AR (NSW) 371 per Sheldon J Ex parte Richardson re Hildred (1972) 2 NSWLR 423 Harcourt Brace & Co (Aust) Pty Ltd v Cory (1997) 81 IR 321 Maloney v Hoffman 1980 AR (NSW) 318 New South Wales Health and Research Employees Association of NSW (unreported, 31 March 1993, pp 80 - 83) CASES CITED : O'Brien v Australian Native Landscapes Pty Ltd (2001) NSWIRComm 145 O'Connor v Healey (1967) 69 SR (NSW) 111 Perception Pty Ltd & anor v Myalong Pty Ltd anor [2001] NSWIRComm 158 per Peterson J Perrott v XcelleNet Australia Ltd (1998) 84 IR 255 Pullen v R & C Products Pty Ltd (1994) 60 IR 183 Reich v Client Service Professionals of Aust Pty Ltd [2000] 99 IR 69. Renard Constructions (ME) Pty Ltd v Minister for Public Works [1999] 26 NSWLR 234 Rothmans Distribution Services Ltd v Full Court of Industrial Court of New South Wales [1994] 53 IR 157 at 160 Savage v Digital Equipment Corporation (Aust) Pty Ltd (1999) NSWIRComm 227 Termination, Change and Redundancy Case (1984) 8 IR 34 at 56 HEARING DATES: 09/19/2001; 09/20/2001; 09/21/2001; 09/27/2001; 09/28/2001 EXTEMPORE JUDGMENT DATE : 12/03/2001