Kate McNamara & anor v Eaternity Pty Ltd & anor [2005] NSWIRComm 460

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION: Kate McNamara & anor v Eaternity Pty Ltd & anor [2005] NSWIRComm 460

First applicant: Kate McNamara

Second applicant: Phillipe Morin PARTIES: First respondent: Eaternity Pty Ltd (ACN 054 918 553)

Second respondent: Stanley Sarris

FILE NUMBER(S): 2628 and 2629 of 2002

CORAM: Backman J

CATCHWORDS: Unfair contract - ex parte proceedings - letter of appointment as contract of employment - term of reasonable notice implied in oral contract - whether contracts unfair because of failure to provide for sufficient periods of notice - no unfairness found on basis of insufficient evidence - test for assessing reasonable notice - whether contracts unfair because of failure to provide for redundancy payments - applicants' employment terminated by reason of redundancy - contracts unfair on basis of failures to provide for a reasonable payment in the event of a redundancy - claims for statutory entitlements - claims for superannuation - whether relief available against second respondent as a non-party to both contracts - both applications amenable to relief against second respondent - whether applicants entitled to indemnity costs - indemnity costs not granted - orders - costs.

Civil Procedure Act 2005 LEGISLATION CITED: Industrial Relations Act 1996 Industrial Relations Act 1940

Bass v Truda and Ors (1990) 38 IR 172 Brown v Rezitis (1970-1971) 127 CLR 157 Byrne v Australian Airlines Limited (1995) 185 CLR 410 Colaco v Soul Pattinson (Manufacturing) Pty Ltd (1990) 38 IR 174 Hampden Press Pty Ltd & Anor v Crammond Publications Pty Ltd [2003] NSWIRComm 99 Jones v Department of Energy and Mineral (1995) 60 IR 304 Lavings v Barclay Mowlem Construction (NSW) Pty Ltd (1999) 99 IR 247 Origin Energy Limited v Smith (2001) 111 IR 476 CASES CITED: Re Application for Redundancy Awards (1994) 53 IR 419 Reich v Client Service Professionals of Australia Pty Ltd (2000) 49 NSWLR 551 Ross v G N Comtext (Aust) Pty Ltd (2000) 107 IR 1 Sydney Water Corporation Ltd and Another v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW and Another (2004) 61 NSWLR 661 Truelove v Sydney Water Corporation Limited and anor (2005) NSWIRComm 191 Tuholi v Caltex Australia (2001) 103 IR 329 Walker v Industrial Court of New South Wales & Anor (1994) 53 IR 121 Wong v State Street Global Advisers Australia Limited & Anor [2004] NSWIRComm 212 Zahos & Anor v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW & Ors [2005] NSWCA 427