Benchmark WA Industrial Relations Case Database

Electrical Trades Union WA v Chubb Australia Pty Ltd formerly known as Chubb Australia T/as Chubb Alarms and another

[2023] WAIRC 815 Single Commissioner (WAIRC) 2023-10-13 File: APPL 67/2023
Source
Senior Commissioner Cosentino
Not yet cited by other cases
Applicant: Electrical Trades Union WA
Respondent: Chubb Australia Pty Ltd formerly known as Chubb Australia T/as Chubb Alarms and another

Ratio

An application to vary the Electrical Trades (Security Alarms Industry) Award 1980 was granted where the union sought indexation of allowances by 5.3% (the 2023 State Wage order increase) and relevant CPI rates. The Commission was satisfied the applicant had standing, the amendments proposed no substantive change to the Award's scope, and the adjustments were consistent with wage fixing principles.

Outcome

For applicant granted

Authority signal

Not yet cited by other cases Signal-weighted score: 0.0
Derived from how later decisions have treated this case. Dark green = leading authority, green = positively treated, grey = neutral or sparse data, amber = caution, red = treated negatively.

Key facts · 4

  • Application filed 16 August 2023 to vary the Electrical Trades (Security Alarms Industry) Award 1980
  • Variation sought an increase of 5.3% per the 2023 State Wage case and relevant CPI rates from June 2022 to June 2023
  • Variations were not opposed by any respondent
  • No appearances were made by either party

Factors

For
  • ETU is a party bound by the Award
  • ETU has standing under s40(2) IR Act
  • Amendments proposed do not effect substantive change to scope or area of operation of Award
  • Application not made within a term specified in the Award
  • Award does not specify a method for adjusting allowances at odds with the method proposed
  • Adjustments sought are consistent with wage fixing principles from 2021 State Wage Case
  • Variations not opposed by any respondent
Against

Legislation referenced

  • Industrial Relations Act 1979 (WA) s40
  • Industrial Relations Act 1979 (WA) s40(2)
  • Electricity Act 1945

Concept tags · 6

[P]Award (WA state system) [P]Award variation [S]General Order — rates of pay and minimum conditions (WA s50A) [S]Wages — payment obligations [S]Overtime and penalty rates [M]s44 referral of industrial matter (WA)

Principles · 4

articulates para ?
A union party bound by an award has standing to bring an application under s40(2) of the IR Act to vary the award.
articulates para ?
Proposed variations that do not effect any substantive change to the scope of an award or its area of operation may be granted where adjustments sought are consistent with wage fixing principles established in State Wage cases.
articulates para ?
An award may be varied under s40 of the IR Act even though the application is not made within a term specified in the award, provided the award does not specify a method for adjusting allowances which is at odds with the proposed adjustment method.
cites para ?
Wage fixing principles set out in the 2023 State Wage Case provide the framework for assessing the appropriateness of proposed award variations involving indexation of allowances.

Cases cited in this decision · 2

Cited
[2023] WAIRC 337 — Commission's Own Motion
"…s Act 1979 (WA) (IR Act); AND WHEREAS Schedule C of the application set out the grounds upon which it is made, indicating the application is made to increase the allowances in the Award by the percentage increase...…"
Cited
(2023) 103 WAIG 748 (not in corpus)
"…Act); AND WHEREAS Schedule C of the application set out the grounds upon which it is made, indicating the application is made to increase the allowances in the Award by the percentage increase ordered in the 2023...…"
Archived text (1517 words)
ELECTRICAL TRADES (SECURITY ALARMS INDUSTRY) AWARD 1980 WESTERN AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMISSION PARTIES Electrical Trades Union WA APPLICANT -v- Chubb Australia Pty Ltd formerly known as Chubb Australia T/as Chubb Alarms and ANOTHER RESPONDENTS CORAM Senior Commissioner R Cosentino DATE FRIday, 13 OCTOBER 2023 FILE NO/S APPL 67 OF 2023 CITATION NO. 2023 WAIRC 00815 Result Award Varied Representation Applicant No appearances Respondents No appearances Order WHEREAS this is an application filed by the Electrical Trades Union WA (ETU) on 16 August 2023 to vary the Electrical Trades (Security Alarms Industry) Award 1980 pursuant to s 40 of the Industrial Relations Act 1979 (WA) (IR Act); AND WHEREAS Schedule C of the application set out the grounds upon which it is made, indicating the application is made to increase the allowances in the Award by the percentage increase ordered in the 2023 State Wage case ([2023] WAIRC 00337; (2023) 103 WAIG 748), that is an increase of 5.3% and by relevant CPI rates from June 2022 to June 2023; AND WHEREAS the variations were not opposed by any respondent; AND BEING satisfied that: The ETU is a party bound by the Award and it has standing to bring the application under s 40(2) of the IR Act; The amendments proposed do not effect any substantive change to the scope of the Award or its area of operation; (c) The application is not made within a term specified in the Award; (d) The Award does not specify a method for adjusting allowances which is at odds with the methods involved in this application. The adjustments sought are consistent with the wage fixing principles set out in the 2021 State Wage Case; and (e) The requirements for varying the Award are met; NOW THEREFORE, the Commission, pursuant to the powers conferred under the IR Act, hereby orders – THAT the Electrical Trades (Security Alarms Industry) Award 1980 be varied in accordance with the following Schedule and that the variations shall have effect from the beginning of the first pay period commencing on or after the date of this order. Senior Commissioner R Cosentino SCHEDULE 1. Clause 11. – Overtime: Delete paragraph (f) of subclause (3) of this Clause and insert in lieu thereof the following: (f) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (g) of this subclause, an employee required to work overtime for more than two hours shall be supplied with a meal by the employer or be paid $16.35 for a meal and, if owing to the amount of overtime worked, a second or subsequent meal is required they shall be supplied with each such meal by the employer or be paid $11.25 for each meal so required. 2. Clause 15. – Special Rates and Provisions: A. Delete subclauses (1), (2), (3) and (4) of this Clause and insert in lieu thereof the following: (1) Height Money: An employee shall be paid an allowance of $3.70 for each day on which they work at a height of 15.5 metres or more above the nearest horizontal plane but this provision does not apply to linespersons nor to riggers and splicers on ships or buildings. (2) Dirt Money: An employee shall be paid an allowance of 75 cents per hour when engaged on work of an unusually dirty nature where clothes are necessarily unduly soiled or damaged or boots are unduly damaged by the nature of the work done. (3) Confined Space: An employee shall be paid an allowance of 95 cents per hour when, because of the dimensions of the compartment or space in which they are working, the employee is required to work in a stooped or otherwise cramped position or without proper ventilation. (4) Hot Work: An employee shall be paid an allowance of 75 cents per hour when they work in the shade in any place where the temperature is raised by artificial means to between 46.1 and 54.4 degrees Celsius. B. Delete subclause (6) of this Clause and insert in lieu thereof the following: (6) Percussion Tools: An employee shall be paid an allowance of 48 cents per hour when working a pneumatic rivetter of the percussion type and other pneumatic tools of the percussion type. C. Delete subclauses (13) and (14) of this Clause and insert in lieu thereof the following: (13) An employee, holding either a Third Year First Aid Medallion of the St. John Ambulance Association or a "C" Standard Senior First Aid Certificate of the Australian Red Cross Society, appointed by the employer to perform first aid duties shall be paid $15.50 per week in addition to their ordinary rate. (14) A Serviceperson - Special Class, a Serviceperson or an Installer who holds, and in the course of their employment may be required to use, a current "A" Grade or "B" Grade Licence issued pursuant to the relevant regulation in force on the 28th day of February, 1978 under the Electricity Act 1945 shall be paid an allowance of $31.10 per week. 3. Clause 16. – Car Allowance: Delete subclause (3) of this Clause and insert in lieu thereof the following: (3) A year for the purpose of this Clause shall commence on the 1 July and end on the 30 June next following. RATES OF HIRE FOR USE OF EMPLOYEE'S OWN VEHICLE ON EMPLOYER'S BUSINESS MOTOR CAR Area And Details Engine Displacement (In Cubic Centimetres) Rate per Kilometre (cents) : 1600cc & Under Metropolitan Area : 79.1 South West Land Division : 81.0 North of 23.5o South Latitude : 89.4 Rest of the State : 83.7 MOTOR CYCLE (In All Areas) 34.9 cents per Kilometre 4. Clause 18. – Distant Work: Delete subclauses (4) and (5) of this Clause and insert in lieu thereof the following: (4) An employee to whom the provisions of subclause (1) of this Clause apply shall be paid an allowance of $42.60 for any weekend that they return to their home from the job but only if - (a) The employee advises the employer or the employer's agent of their intention no later than the Tuesday immediately preceding the weekend in which the employee so returns; (b) The employee is not required for work during that weekend; (c) The employee returns to the job on the first working day following the weekend; and (d) The employer does not provide or offer to provide suitable transport. (5) Where an employee, supplied with board and lodging by the employer, is required to live more than 800 metres from the job the employee shall be provided with suitable transport to and from that job or be paid an allowance of $19.00 per day provided that where the time actually spent in travelling either to or from the job exceeds 20 minutes, that excess time shall be paid for at ordinary rates whether or not suitable transport is supplied by the employer. 5. Clause 28. – Wages: Delete subclauses (3), (4) and (5) of this Clause and insert in lieu thereof the following: (3) (a) Where an employer does not provide a tradesperson with the tools ordinarily required by that tradesperson in the performance of their work as a tradesperson the employer shall pay a tool allowance of $21.50 per week to such tradesperson for the purpose of such tradesperson supplying and maintaining tools ordinarily required in the performance of their work as a tradesperson. (b) Any tool allowance paid pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subclause shall be included in, and form part of, the ordinary weekly wage prescribed in this Clause. (c) An employer shall provide for the use of tradespersons all necessary power tools, special purpose tools and precision measuring instruments. (d) A tradesperson shall replace or pay for any tools supplied by the employer if lost through their negligence. (4) (a) In addition to the appropriate rates of pay prescribed in this Clause an employee shall be paid - (i) $69.30 per week if they are engaged on the construction of a large industrial undertaking or any large civil engineering project. (ii) $62.90 per week if they are engaged in a multi-storeyed building but only until the exterior walls have been erected and the windows completed and a lift made available to carry the employee between the ground floor and the floor upon which they are required to work. A multi-storeyed building is a building which, when completed, will consist of at least five storeys. (iii) $36.30 per week if they are engaged otherwise on construction work falling within the definition of construction work in Clause 5. - Definitions of this Award. (b) Any dispute as to which of the aforesaid allowances apply to particular work shall be determined by the Board of Reference. (c) An allowance paid under this subclause includes any allowance otherwise payable under Clause 15. - Special Rates and Provisions of this Award except the allowance for work at heights, the first aid allowance and the licence allowance. (5) Leading Hand: In addition to the appropriate total wage prescribed in subclause (1) of this clause, a leading hand shall be paid - (a) : $39.50 (b) : $60.00 (c) : $77.50