von Senff v State Transit Authority [2013] NSWIRComm 1013

Industrial Relations Commission New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: von Senff v State Transit Authority [2013] NSWIRComm 1013 Hearing dates: 9 July 2013, 16 August 2013 Decision date: 22 August 2013 Jurisdiction: Industrial Relations Commission Before: Newall C Decision: Appeal upheld Catchwords: DISCIPLINARY APPEAL - Dismissal - nature of Commission's jurisdiction - s.98 proceedings a hearing de novo - whether discipline protective or punitive - power to discipline not protective in nature - approach to assessing punishment - where punishment invoked repealed regulation - power to dismiss existed under new regulation - power to punish held to exist even where repealed regulation called in aid - bus driver using STA-supplied two-way radio while in control of bus - safety - two-way radio differentiated from use of mobile phone - use of mobile phone wholly unacceptable - ambiguity of instruction regarding use of two-way radio - driver understood himself to be obeying instruction - no misconduct proven - appeal upheld - consequential orders Legislation Cited: Industrial Relations Act 1996 s.98, 100C, 100D Transport Administration Act 1988 s.68E Transport Administration (Staff) Regulation 2005 Transport Administration (Staff) Regulation 2012 rr 13, 16 Cases Cited: Calman v Commissioner of Police [1999] HCA 60; (1999) 167 ALR 91 Commissioner for Police v Donlan (unreported, Supreme Court of NSW, 8 August 1995) Duckworth v State Rail Authority of NSW (2002) 119 IR 360 Duhbihur v Transport Appeal Board [2005] NSWSC 811; 149 IR 276 National Union of Workers NSW Branch (on behalf of Khan) v Cuno Pacific Pty Ltd (2005) 146 IR 441 Pastrycooks Employees, Biscuit Makers and Flour and Sugar Goods Workers' Union v Gartrell White (No 3) (1990) 35 IR 70 Re PSA and POA and Macquarie Generation [2004] NSWIRComm 11 Saini v Director-General, NSW Agriculture (Court of Appeal of NSW, 11 November 1996, unreported) Trigger v Australian Telecommunications Commission (1984) 6 IR 446 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Dr Hans-Dieter von Senff (Appellant); State Transit Authority Division of the NSW Government Service (Respondent) File Number(s): IRC 88 of 2013