Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association, New South Wales v Librus Pty Ltd, t/as Dymocks Parramatta [2001] NSWIRComm 46

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales

CITATION : Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association, New South Wales v Librus Pty Ltd, t/as Dymocks Parramatta [2001] NSWIRComm 46 APPELLANT Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association, New South Wales PARTIES : RESPONDENT Librus Pty Limited, trading as Dymocks Parramatta FILE NUMBER: IRC 7062 of 1999 CORAM: Walton J Vice-President; Hungerford J; Patterson C Unfair Dismissal - Termination of a casual employee - Engaged for a period of 11 weeks for 4 to 15 hours per week - Whether jurisdiction to conciliate claim for alleged harsh, unreasonable or unjust dismissal - Whether exempt from relief because engaged for less than 6 months - Statutory provisions exempting an employee engaged for a short period - Conciliation function - Arbitration function - Practice dealing with claims - Proceedings miscarried - Remitted for reconsideration.

CATCHWORDS : Appeal - Against dismissal of claim - Lack of jurisdiction found at threshold - Conciliation not attempted - Appeal upheld and claim remitted for reconsideration.

Practice and Procedure - Process for dealing with unfair dismissal claims - Conciliation function - Arbitration function - Appropriate stage to determine jurisdictional question.

Industrial Arbitration Act 1940 s 25 (repealed) LEGISLATION CITED : Industrial Relations Act 1996 s 3(g) s6(1) s 6(2) s 83(1)(b) s 83(2)(c) s 84(1) s 84(2) s 86 s 87(1) s 89 Industrial Relations (General) Regulation 1996 cl 5B(1)(d) BHP Refractories Pty Ltd v AWU-FIME Amalgamated Union, NSW (1996) 69 IR 41 Carbines v Powell (1925) 36 CLR 88 Clarkson v Dent (1998) 84 IR 250 Deltec International Courier Pty Ltd v Transport Workers' Union of Australia, NSW Branch [1993] 50 IR 341 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125 Hope v Bathurst City Council (1980) 144 CLR 1 Nagle (t/as W D and J L Nagle & Sons) v Tilburg [1993] 51 IR 8 CASES CITED : NSW Associated Blue-Metal Quarries Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1956) 94 CLR 509 Public Service Board v Teachers' Federation [1968] AR (NSW) 292 R v Bain, ex parte Cadbury Schweppes Australia Ltd (1984) 159 CLR 163 Reed v Blue Line Cruises Ltd (1996) 73 IR 420 Ryde-Eastwood Leagues Club Ltd v Taylor (1994) 56 IR 385 Stevenson v Barham (1997) 136 CLR 190 Teachers at Bega and Other High Schools [1970] AR (NSW) 245 Teachers' Federation v Public Service Board [1968] AR (NSW) 507 HEARING DATES: 06/15/2000 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 03/26/2001