Karen Thompson v Seventh Day Adventist Church (South Pacific Division) Ltd & ors [2005] NSWIRComm 84

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION: Karen Thompson v Seventh Day Adventist Church (South Pacific Division) Ltd & ors [2005] NSWIRComm 84

APPLICANT: Karen Thompson PARTIES: RESPONDENTS: Seventh Day Adventist Church (South Pacific Division) Ltd and ors

FILE NUMBER(S): IRC No 6530 of 2001

CORAM: Haylen J

CATCHWORDS: Unfair contract - Industrial Relations Act 1996 s 106 - applicant employed by church as teacher - difficulty in determining which particular entity within church operation was the employer - Notices of Motion to substitute a respondent, join a respondent and remove a respondent prior to conciliation - complexity of church organisation using both incorporated and unincorporated entities - sufficient connection with employment arrangement established - order made for substitution of respondent and joinder of another respondent - culpability of proposed respondent not sole test - respondent incorporated after impugned contract terminated capable of being joined

AOS Group Australia Pty Ltd (In Liquidation) v Arrogante (2004) 135 IR 44 Batolacci v Permanent Custodians Ltd (1992) 44 IR 388 Brown v Rezitis (1970) 127 CLR 147 Burnett v Atlantis Relocations (NSW) Pty Ltd [2002] NSWIRComm 266 Custom Credit Corporation Ltd v Goldsmith 1975 AR 98 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125 CASES CITED: Gough & Gilmour Holdings Pty Ltd and ors v Caterpillar of Australia Ltd (No 2) (2001) 106 IR 274 Hagans v UnitedGlobalCom Inc and ors [2004] NSWIRComm 164 Myer Stores Ltd (t/as Grace Bros) v Stowart (1994) 55 IR 21 Nagle v Tilburg and anor (1993) 51 IR 8