Kingmill Australia Pty Ltd t/as Thrifty Car Rental v Federated Clerks' Union of Australia, New South Wales Branch [2001] NSWIRComm 141

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales

CITATION : Kingmill Australia Pty Ltd t/as Thrifty Car Rental v Federated Clerks' Union of Australia, New South Wales Branch [2001] NSWIRComm 141 APPELLANT: Kingmill Australia Pty Limited t/as Thrifty Car Rental PARTIES : RESPONDENT: Federated Clerks' Union of Australia, New South Wales Branch FILE NUMBER: IRC 36 of 2000 CORAM: Wright J President; Walton J Vice-President; Hungerford J; Connor C CATCHWORDS : Appeal - Scope of award - Meaning of the phrase "in any clerical capacity whatsoever" - Leave to appeal granted - Matters of general importance and issues of comity raised - Principles of award interpretation - Major and substantial test - Dominant purpose test - Construction of award - Phrase "in any clerical capacity whatsoever" has a wider meaning than expression "clerk" - Appropriate to have regard to award classifications - Ambulatory provision - Nature of business of appellant - True characterisation of work and functions of employees affected - Employees work in a clerical capacity for the purposes of award - Issues of comity not arise - Decision of Industrial Relations Court of South Australia distinguished - Appeal dismissed. LEGISLATION CITED : Industrial Relations Act 1996 s130 s188 ALHMWU v Manilla RSL & Ex-Servicemens' Club Limited [2000] NSWIRComm 122 Australian Workers' Union, New South Wales v New South Wales Technical and Further Education [2001] NSWIRComm 25 Bryce v Apperley (1998) 82 IR 448 Clerks' (South Australia) Award, Re (1988) 55 SAIR (Pt1) 598 Fairfax Demarcation Case (unreported, Cahill J, No. 114 of 1977, 3 August 1977) Federated Clerks' Union of Australia Industrial Union of Workers, WA Branch v Cary and Cary t/as R. W. Cary Estates (1977) 57 WAIG 585 Federated Clerks' Union of Australia, Industrial Union of Workers, WA Branch v Bunnings (unreported, Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission, Full Court, 20 February 1992) Federated Clerks' Union of Australia, New South Wales Branch and Australian Workers' Union [1971] AR (NSW) 419 Hospital Employees Conditions of Employment (State) Award, Re (1999) 96 IR 245 J Fenwick & Co Pty Ltd v Merchant Service Guild of Australia (1973) 150 CAR 99 CASES CITED : Joyce v Christofferson (1990) 33 IR 390 Kellogg (Aust.) Pty Limited v National Union of Workers, New South Wales Branch (1998) 89 IR 391 Kingmill Australia Pty Ltd t/as Thrifty Car Rental v Marshall [1999] SAIRC 2 Norwest Beef Industries Ltd v Australasian Meat Industries Employees Union of Workers (WA Branch) (1984) 12 IR 314 Pawel v Australian Industrial Relations Commission (1999) 94 FCR 231 Perisher Blue v Australian Workers' Union (1999) 91 IR 274 San Remo (Southland) Pty Ltd v Farrell (1987) 22 IR 291 Softplay Pty Ltd v Department of Industrial Relations (1999) 94 IR 175 Tanner Re Armstrong Re Inquiry into Election in Federated Clerks Union of Australia, Re (1986) 16 IR 210 Ware v O'Donnell Griffin (Television Services) Pty Ltd [1971] AR (NSW) 18 Welsh and Tasman Asia Pacific Pty Ltd (unreported, Australian Industrial Relations Commission, Deegan C, Print P9068, 25 February 1998) HEARING DATES: 06/29/2000; 06/30/2000; 07/24/2000 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 07/06/2001