Frederick Fliedner v Philips Electronics Australia Ltd [2003] NSWIRComm 23

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Frederick Fliedner v Philips Electronics Australia Ltd [2003] NSWIRComm 23 APPLICANT Frederick Fliedner PARTIES : RESPONDENT Philips Electronics Australia Ltd FILE NUMBER: IRC 3132 of 2001 CORAM: Marks J CATCHWORDS : Unfair contract - Applicant alleged that imposition of cap on retrenchment benefits rendered the contract unfair - Held that in the absence of any evidence or information about any community standard of payment of retrenchment benefits unable to find that the retrenchment cap was unfair - Held that failure to take into account car allowance and bonus in calculation of retrenchment benefits rendered the contract unfair - Orders accordingly. LEGISLATION CITED : Industrial Relations Act 1996 Baker v National Distribution Services Ltd (1993) 50 IR 254 CASES CITED : Westfield v Adams (2001) NSWIRComm 293 Westfield Holdings v Adams (2002) 114 IR 241 Payne v Foxboro (1998) 81 IR 404 HEARING DATES: 12/17/2002 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 02/18/2003

APPLICANT Mr I Latham of counsel SOLICITORS Beston Macken McManis LEGAL REPRESENTATIVES: RESPONDENT Mr B J A Shields of counsel SOLICITORS Deacons

JUDGMENT: - 1 - INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMISSION OF NEW SOUTH WALES IN COURT SESSION CORAM: MARKS J Tuesday 18 February 2003 Matter No IRC 3132 of 2001 FREDERICK FLIEDNER v PHILIPS ELECTRONICS AUSTRALIA LTD Application under s 106 of the Industrial Relations Act 1996