4 yearly review of modern awards—Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award 2010

Case [2018] FWCFB 2875


[2018] FWCFB 2875
FAIR WORK COMMISSION

STATEMENT


Fair Work Act 2009

s.156 - 4 yearly review of modern awards

4 yearly review of modern awards—Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award 2010
(AM2014/225)

JUSTICE ROSS, PRESIDENT
SENIOR DEPUTY PRESIDENT HAMBERGER
DEPUTY PRESIDENT CLANCY
COMMISSIONER JOHNS

MELBOURNE, 22 MAY 2018

4 yearly review of modern awards – award stage – exposure drafts – technical and drafting issues – Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award 2010 – outstanding issues.

[1] The outstanding technical and drafting matters for the Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award 2010 1(General Staff Award) were considered in our decision of 13 March 20182 (March decision).

[2] As part of the March decision we noted that there were three items that required final determination and foreshadowed that they would be finalised as part of a subsequent Statement. 3 These remaining items are considered below.

Item 26 – payment for annual leave

[3] Submissions regarding this item were due by 27 March 2018. No submissions were received in response to the previous submissions by Associations of Independent Schools and Independent Education Union of Australia (collectively AIS and IEU). 4

[4] For completeness, the calculation used to achieve the rate of 1.342% is:

17.5 x 4 ÷ 52.18

[5] This formula is consistent with the calculation method used for converting the annual salaries in the General Staff Award to weekly rates.

[6] In the absence of any further submissions, and on the basis that the variation will create consistency between the General Staff Award and the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2010, 5 we intend to vary clause 17.3(b)(i) of the exposure draft by deleting the value of 1.3426% and inserting 1.342%.

Item 23 – broken shifts and Item 28 – Schedule B – summary of hourly rates of pay

[7] As per the March decision, a conference was convened on 29 March 2018 before Commissioner Johns for the purposes of finalising these items. The conference was attended by representatives from the AIS and IEU. No representative from the Australian Federation of Employers and Industries (AFEI) attended the conference to sustain or withdraw the objection previously raised. 6

[8] The Commission subsequently contacted AFEI and confirmed that the objections to these items were no longer being pursued. 7

[9] On that basis, clauses 15.4 and 15.5 of the exposure draft will be varied as per the AIS and IEU submission reproduced at [100] of the March decision. As a result of this variation, there will be a consequential amendment to the rates in Schedule B – summary of hourly rates of pay.

[10] An updated exposure draft reflecting these changes will be published in due course.

PRESIDENT

 1   MA000076

 2   [2018] FWCFB 1405

 3   [104] of [2018] FWCFB 1405

 4   AIS and IEU submissions of 14 April 2016 and 24 November 2017

 5   MA000077

 6   AFEI submission in reply , 9 May 2016, p 4

 7   AFEI correspondence, 11 April 2018

Printed by authority of the Commonwealth Government Printer

<PR607308>

Details
AGLC
4 yearly review of modern awards—Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award 2010 [2018] FWCFB 2875
Case
[2018] FWCFB 2875
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

In the Fair Work Commission, the applicant, the Independent Education Union of Australia, sought a review of the Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award 2010. The applicant contested certain aspects of the award, particularly focusing on technical and drafting issues identified during the award's review process. The review aimed to ensure the award's continued relevance and effectiveness in governing the employment conditions of general staff within the educational services sector, specifically schools.

The legal issues before the Commission involved assessing the technical and drafting precision of the award, ensuring it was free from errors and ambiguities, and making necessary amendments to address any outstanding issues. The applicant argued that specific clauses within the award were unclear or potentially misleading, potentially leading to misinterpretation by employers and employees alike. The Commission was tasked with determining whether these issues warranted correction and, if so, how best to address them within the framework of the existing award.

The Commission carefully examined the proposed changes and the reasoning behind the applicant's submissions. It acknowledged the importance of maintaining a clear and unambiguous award to facilitate fair and consistent application. After thorough deliberation, the Commission found merit in some of the applicant's concerns, particularly those relating to clarity and potential misinterpretation. Consequently, the Commission decided to amend certain clauses to enhance clarity and correct any drafting errors. The changes were aimed at ensuring the award remained a reliable and effective governing document for the employment conditions of general staff in the educational services sector.

The Commission's final orders included specific amendments to the Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award 2010 to address the identified technical and drafting issues. These amendments were designed to clarify certain provisions and correct any errors, ensuring the award's continued relevance and effectiveness. The changes were implemented to support fair and consistent application of the award, benefiting both employers and employees within the sector.

Orders

Orders of the court

Full text does not contain this section.

Background

Background to the litigation

Full text does not contain this section.

Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

Full text does not contain this section.

Decision

Reasons for decision

Full text does not contain this section.

Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

Full text does not contain this section.