Transport Workers' Union of Australia, New South Wales Branch, on behalf of Joseph Vallis, and TNT Australia Pty Limited, trading as TNT Express [2002] NSWIRComm 46

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales

CITATION : Transport Workers' Union of Australia, New South Wales Branch, on behalf of Joseph Vallis, and TNT Australia Pty Limited, trading as TNT Express [2002] NSWIRComm 46 APPLICANT PARTIES : The Transport Workers' Union of Australia, New South Wales Branch, on behalf of Joseph Vallis RESPONDENT TNT Australia Pty Limited trading as TNT Express FILE NUMBER: 6551 of 2001 CORAM: Sams DP Termination of employment - unfair dismissal - serious misconduct - harassment and intimidation of supervisor - employer policies - procedural fairness - misconduct admitted - whether dismissal harsh - practicality of reinstatement. CATCHWORDS : Held, misconduct "out of the ordinary" - isolated incident - no evidence of similar past behaviour - conduct inappropriate and unacceptable, but not harassing or intimidatory - employee's otherwise good record of employment not given sufficient weight - concern at level of harassment policy training - dismissal found to be "harsh" and disproportionate to gravity of conduct - reinstatement ordered on conditions LEGISLATION CITED : Industrial Relations Act 1996 Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 Paris v Bankstown City Council [1999] NSWIRComm 10, 22 January 1999 Electricity Commission of New South Wales t/as Pacific Power v Crump, 48 IR 296 Busways v Johnson, 55 IR 255 Franklins v Webb, 72 IR 257 Standley v Electronics Boutique Pty Ltd (unreported, Sams DP, IRC4516 of 1999, 18 March 1999 Hill v Department of Juvenile Justice (unreported, Sams DP, IRC6474 of 1999, 27 July 2000 Blyth Chemicals Ltd v Bushnell, 49 CLR 66 Hunt v Hornsby Shire Council (unreported, Grayson DP, NSWIRComm 242, 12 October 2001) John Lysaght (Australia) Limited and Federated Ironworkers' Association of Australia, New South Wales Division & Ors (unreported, Sheppard J, Matter 259 of 1972, 14 September 1972) Jupiter Insurance Co., Ltd v Ardeshir Bomanji Shroff, All ER 1937 CASES CITED : Byrne & Anor v Australian Airlines (1995) 185 CLR 410 Burke v McGirr (1995) 87 IR 54 Oswald v New South Wales Police Service (1999) 90 IR 42 Johnson v Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Parramatta, 87 IR 5 Abboud v The State of New South Wales (Department of School Education), 92 IR 32 Antonakopoulos v State Bank of New South Wales (1999) 91 IR 385 Wilson v Department of Education and Training, 100 IR 1 Leeds & Northrup Australia Pty Limited v Hull, 46 IR 11 Perkins v Grace Worldwide (Aust) Pty Ltd (1997) 72 IR 186 Hollingsworth v Commissioner of Police, 88 IR 282 HEARING DATES: 01/30/2002; 01/31/2002; 02/01/2002 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 03/20/2002