TASMANIAN INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION

Industrial Relations Act 1984
s.61J - application for the approval of an enterprise agreement

Marine and Safety Authority

and

Persons employed as full time, part time, casual and contract employees of the Marine and Safety Authority and seconded employees
[TE 1461 of 2008]

MARINE AND SAFETY AUTHORITY STAFF Enterprise Agreement 2008

Enterprise Agreement – agreement amended - agreement approved - operative ffpp 5 November 2008 – for a period of 3 years

APPROVAL OF ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT

[1] This application concerns the Marine and Safety Authority Staff Enterprise Agreement 2008. The parties lodged the agreement on 2 December 2008 pursuant to s.61H of the Industrial Relations Act 1984. At the hearing of this matter on 18 December 2008, at the request of the parties, I amended Clause 4 – Duration of the agreement as lodged.

[2] The employer party to the agreement is Marine and Safety Tasmania. The employee parties are the individuals employed in the classes of employment to which the agreement applies; i.e full time, part time, casual and contract employees of the Marine and Safety Authority and seconded employees.

[3] The agreement will commence operation from first full pay period on or after 5 November 2008 and remain in force for a period of three years.

[4] At the hearing, I satisfied myself that:

(a)   at least 60% of the persons employed in the enterprise in the one or more classes of employment to which the agreement is to apply approved the agreement in a secret ballot, pursuant to the provisions of s.61D(2) of the Act;

(b)   the agreement contains the matters referred to in s.61E of the Act;

(c)   the conditions of employment fixed by the agreement, where relevant, are not less than the minimum conditions of employment set out in s.61F of the Act;

(d)   pursuant to the provisions of s.61I(2) of the Act, the parties to the agreement satisfied me that they are aware of (i) their entitlements and obligations under the agreement and under Part IVA of the Act; (ii) the changes to existing conditions of employment which will result from the agreement taking effect; and (iii) that they were provided with written statements to that effect at least two weeks before the ballot to approve the agreement;

(e) the parties conducted the secret ballots required in relation to the agreement in accordance with the requirements of s.61ZD(1) of the Act;

(f)   in terms of s.61J(1)(ca) of the Act, there is no reason to believe that the bargaining process adopted by the parties to the agreement was not appropriate and fair;

(g)   in terms of s.61J(1)(d) of the Act, there is no reason to believe the agreement was made under duress; and 

(h) in terms of s61J(1A) and (1B) the agreement does not disadvantage the employees covered by the agreement; and

(i) in terms of s.61J(1)(f) of the Act, there is no reason to believe the agreement is not fair in all the circumstances.

[5] In the circumstances I approve the agreement pursuant to s.61J(1) of the Act. I hereby notify the parties and the Minister of that approval and, in doing so, inform the parties of their right to withdraw from the agreement under s.61K of the Act, which provides that:-

"(1)  A party to an enterprise agreement, within 14 days after receipt of a notice under section 61J, may give written notice to the other parties of the intention to withdraw from the agreement.

(2)   A copy of the withdrawal notice is to be lodged with the Registrar within the period referred to in subsection (1).

(3)   If the parties to an enterprise agreement (other than the employer) include individuals or an employee committee, notice of withdrawal from the agreement by those parties may only be given if at least 60% of the persons employed in the enterprise in the one or more classes of employment to which the agreement is to apply agree to it."

Commissioner JP McAlpine
COMMISSIONER

Appearances:
Mr CH Finch for Marine and Safety Tasmania
Mr WG Batt for himself and, for and on behalf of Mr G Alway, Mrs MJ Bradshaw, Mrs GM Caulfield, Mr JR Caulfield, Mrs JE Enfantie, Mr TR Faust, Mr JL Foster, Mrs RJ Froud, Mr T Greenlees, Mrs CA Hawkes, Miss L Hoffman, Mr PN Hopkins, Mr PD Keyes, Mrs MK Percey, Ms SM Peterson, Mrs J Wells and Mrs JM Woolley being employees of Marine and Safety Tasmania

Date and place of hearing:
2008
December 18
Hobart