Kumar and Valuca Pty Ltd [2001] NSWIRComm 63

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales

CITATION : Kumar and Valuca Pty Ltd [2001] NSWIRComm 63 APPLICANT PARTIES : Mr Manoj Kumar RESPONDENT Valuca Pty Ltd FILE NUMBER: 3388 of 2000 CORAM: Sams DP Termination of employment - unfair dismissal - alleged misconduct - fighting in the workplace - reliance on past incidents - investigatory process - standard of proof - onus on employer - Jones and Dunkel inference - principles considered. CATCHWORDS : Held, failure to bring evidence - Jones and Dunkel inference available - employer's onus not discharged - Commission unable to make factual findings - employer prejudged the applicant - denial of procedural fairness - reinstatement impractical - compensation ordered. LEGISLATION CITED : Industrial Relations Act 1996 Bounour v The Spanish Club Ltd, 94 IR 173 North v Television Corporation Ltd (1976) 11 ALR 599, Crosland v John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd, Australian Industrial Court, 3 July 1959, 14 IIB 610, AWU-FIME v Queensland Alumina Ltd (1995) 62 IR 385 Pastrycooks Employees, Biscuit Makers Employees & Flour and Sugar Goods Workers Union (NSW) v Gartrell White (No 3) (1990) 35 IR 70 Wang v Crestell Industries Pty Ltd (1997) 73 IR 454 Jones and Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 A/Asian Transport Officers' Association v Department of Motor Transport (1988) 25 IR 235 CASES CITED : Yew v ACI Glass Packaging, 72 IR 200 Health and Research Association (NSW) v Wollongong Hospital, 29 IR 235 Fearnley v Tenix Defence Systems (unreported) AIRC Print S3557 Four Sons Pty Ltd v Lamsiripothong (unreported) Wright P, Hungerford J, Cambridge C, IRC 6337 of 1999, 20 March 2000 Franklins Ltd v Webb, 72 IR 257 Standley and Electronics Boutique Australia Pty Ltd (unreported) Sams DP, Matter IRC4516 of 1998, 18 March 1999 Hill and Commissioner for Public Employment - Department of Juvenile Justice (unreported) Sams DP, Matter IRC6474 of 1999 Automotive Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union, on behalf of Mark Harrison and Keith Donaldson, and Australian Co-Operative Foods Limited (unreported) Sams DP, IRC7056 and 7059 of 1999, 18 October 2000 Byrne & Anor v Australian Airlines (1995) 185 CLR 310 HEARING DATES: 11/22/2000 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 04/03/2001