Re Operational Ambulance Officers (State) Award [2011] NSWIRComm 61

Industrial Relations Commission New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Re Operational Ambulance Officers (State) Award [2011] NSWIRComm 61 Hearing dates: 8 April 2011 Decision date: 12 May 2011 Jurisdiction: Industrial Relations Commission Before: Boland P, Walton VP, Grayson DP Decision: Applicants' notice of motion is dismissed Catchwords: AWARD - APPLICATION TO RESCIND OR VARY - STATUTORY INTERPRETATION - New award made in respect of Operational Ambulance Officers - Thirteen individual employees claimed the Award was made without any or any proper consultation with ambulance officers employed as Extended Care Paramedics ("ECPs") and that the Award represented a serious reduction in pay and conditions for ECPs with wage reductions of up to $30,000 or more - Order sought pursuant to rule 36.16(2)(b) of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 that the judgment and orders making the award be set aside or varied - Order sought pursuant to regulation 2.5(3) of the Industrial Relations Commission Rules 2009 or rule 36.17 of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules ("slip rule") that the judgment and orders in respect of the making of the award be corrected - Question of applicants' standing as individual employees to make notice of motion - Role of registered organisations of employees under Industrial Relations Act 1996 - Consideration of absent party rule - Consideration of slip rule - Held individual employees had no standing to make applications - Held absent party rule not applicable - Held slip rule not applicable - Applications dismissed Legislation Cited: Aboriginals Ordinance 1918 (NT) Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 (Cth) Industrial Arbitration Act 1901 Industrial Arbitration Act 1912 Industrial Arbitration Act 1940 Industrial Disputes Act 1908 Industrial Relations Act 1991 Industrial Relations Act 1996 Industrial Relations Commission Rules 2009 Industrial Relations (General) Regulation 2001 Interpretation Act 1987 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 Cases Cited: Attorney-General (Cth) v R (the Boilermakers' Case) (1957) 95 CLR 529 Attorney-General (Ontario) v Winner [1954] 3 All ER 177 Australian Railways Union v Victorian Railways Commissioners [1930] HCA 54; (1930) 44 CLR 319 BP Australia Ltd v Brown [2003] NSWCA 216; (2003) 58 NSWLR 322 Cameron v Cole [1944] HCA 5; (1944) 68 CLR 571 Cheesman v Waters & Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Australia (1997) 77 FCR 221 Cobar Mines Pty Ltd Consent Award 1995, Re [1998] NSWIRComm 447 Corporate Affairs Commission v Bradley [1974] 1 NSWLR 391 Cotton Ginning, &c., Employees (State) Award, Re [1972] AR (NSW) 237 Club Employees (State) Award, Re [2002] NSWIRComm 362; (2002) 122 IR 272 Cuthbertson v City of Hobart [1921] HCA 51; (1921) 30 CLR 16 Dahozo Pty Ltd v Oz-US Film Productions Pty Ltd (1997) 24 ACSR 739 Dooney v Henry [2000] HCA 44; (2000) 74 ALJR 1289 Electrical Contractors Association of New South Wales v Electrical Trades Union of Australia, New South Wales Branch [2003] NSWIRComm 404; (2003) 130 IR 284 Hospital Employees HREA Members (State) Award, Re (1997) 75 IR 7 Hotel and Employees (State) Award, Re [2001] NSWIRComm 284; (2001) 111 IR 393 Jumbunna Coal Mine NL v Victorian Coal Miners Association [1908] HCA 95; (1908) 6 CLR 309 Kruger v Commonwealth of Australia [1997] HCA 27; (1997) 190 CLR 1 Laundry Employees (State) Award (No 2), Re (1993) 49 IR 91 Lavigne v Ontario Public Service Employees Union (1991) 81 DLR (4th) 545 Lynch v G C Schmidt Pty Ltd [1995] NSWIRComm 255; (1995) 59 IR 205 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Teoh [1995] HCA 20; (1995) 183 CLR 273 Mulholland v Australian Electoral Commission [2004] HCA 41; (2004) 220 CLR 181 Nicholson v Nicholson [1974] 2 NSWLR 59 O'Keeffe Nominees Pty Ltd v BP Australia Ltd (No 2) (1995) 128 ALR 718 Plumbers and Gasfitters (State) Conciliation Committee, In re [1936] AR (NSW) 341 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority [1998] HCA 28; (1998) 194 CLR 355 R v Commonwealth Court of Conciliation & Arbitration; Ex parte Ellis [1954] HCA 6; (1954) 90 CLR 55 Southern Copper Ltd Award, Re [1999] NSWIRComm 206 Special Constables (Police Department) Award, In re [1956] AR (NSW) 880 Speirs v Springvale Coal Pty Ltd [2010] NSWIRComm 30; (2010) 200 IR 133 Symes v Commonwealth of Australia (1987) 89 FLR 356 United States Tobacco Co v Minister for Consumer Affairs (1988) 20 FCR 520 Witness v Marsden [2000] NSWCA 52; (2000) 49 NSWLR 429 Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer v Detailed Flooring Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 1056; (2010) 80 ACSR 1 Young, James and Webster v United Kingdom (1981) 4 EHRR 38 Texts Cited: Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms "New South Wales Industrial Laws", 4th edition, 1977, Butterworths, CP Mills Laying the Foundations of Industrial Justice: The Presidents of the Industrial Relations Commission of NSW 1902-1998, Greg Patmore (ed), The Federation Press, Sydney, 2003 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Andrew Keshwan (First applicant on the notice of motion) Warwick Holland (Second applicant on the notice of motion) Wayne Anthony Flint (Third applicant on the notice of motion) Scott Clarke (Fourth applicant on the notice of motion) Jonathon Russell (Fifth applicant on the notice of motion) Peter Brian Richards (Sixth applicant on the notice of motion) Sean Cooke (Seventh applicant on the notice of motion) Lauren Cowgill (Eighth applicant on the notice of motion) Ben Southers (Ninth applicant on the notice of motion) Hannah Mavis Freitas (Tenth applicant on the notice of motion) Carina Hage (Eleventh applicant on the notice of motion) Janelle White (Twelfth applicant on the notice of motion) Sandra Macken (Thirteenth applicant on the notice of motion) Director General, Department of Health (First respondent on the notice of motion) HSU East (Second respondent on the notice of motion) Representation: Y Shariff of counsel (Applicants on the notice of motion) A B Gotting of counsel (First respondent on the notice of motion) J V Murphy of counsel (Second respondent on the notice of motion) Ffrench Legal (Applicants on the notice of motion) Slater & Gordon (Second respondent on the notice of motion) File Number(s): IRC 1514 of 2010