NSW Trains v Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judgment Date: 03 August 2021
• Neutral Citation: [2021] FCA 883
• Court: Federal Court
• Date: 03 August 2021

Federal Court of Australia

NSW Trains v Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union [2021] FCA 883

File number:	NSD 427 of 2021
Judgment of:	FLICK J
Date of judgment:	3 August 2021
Catchwords:	INDUSTRIAL LAW – enterprise agreement – continued operation after nominal expiry date – whether clause with operation “during the life of the agreement” refers to the nominal expiry date – or whether that clause continues to operate after nominal expiry ; INDUSTRIAL LAW – power of employer to give instructions – the making of extra claims ; PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – attempt to re-litigate dispute resolved by Fair Work Commission – whether abuse of process ; PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – declaratory relief – resolution of hypothetical questions – declaratory relief hypothetical both by reason of uncertainty as to regulatory framework and factual uncertainty – whether utility – form of declarations sought – relief refused
Legislation:	Constitution ss 51, 109, 122 Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904 (Cth) s 4 Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) Pt 2-4, ss 19, 26, 27, 29, 52, 54, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 253 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 21 Rail Safety National Law (NSW) ss 3, 12, 13, 14, 62, 64 Rail Safety (Adoption of National Law) Act 2012 (NSW) Transport Administration Act 1988 (NSW) s 37 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) ss 5, 7, 14, 17, 19, 20, 21, 28, 47, 50, 51, 60, 68, 85, 90, 272
Cases cited:	A. Raptis & Son v The State of South Australia (1977) 138 CLR 346 Adami v Maison de Luxe Ltd (1924) 35 CLR 143 Ainsworth v Criminal Justice Commission (1992) 175 CLR 564 ALDI Foods Pty Limited v Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association [2017] HCA 53, (2017) 262 CLR 593 Amalgamated Collieries of W.A. Ltd v True (1938) 59 CLR 417 Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd v Wardley (1980) 142 CLR 237 Aussie Airlines Pty Ltd v Australian Airlines Inc (1996) 68 FCR 406 Clancy v Butchers’ Shop Employees Union (1904) 1 CLR 181 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v BHP Coal Pty Ltd [2016] FCA 1009, (2016) 262 IR 176 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v Hail Creek Coal Pty Ltd [2015] FCAFC 149 Crown Employee’s Salaries and Conditions Award [2008] NSWIRComm 209, (2008) 181 IR 245 Electrolux Home Products Pty Limited v The Australian Workers’ Union [2004] HCA 40, (2004) 221 CLR 309 Energy Australia Yallourn Pty Ltd v Automotive, Food, Metal, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union [2018] FCAFC 146, (2018) 264 FCR 342 Ex parte McLean (1930) 43 CLR 472 Harrison v P & T Tube Mills Pty Ltd [2009] FCA 220, (2009) 181 IR 162 Health Services Union v Director-General, NSW Department of Health [2010] NSWIRComm 42, (2010) 193 IR 359 James Cook University v Ridd [2020] FCAFC 123, (2020) 278 FCR 566 Kucks v CSR Ltd (1996) 66 IR 182 Linfox Australia Pty Ltd v Transport Workers’ Union of Australia [2013] FCA 659, (2013) 213 FCR 479 Marmara v Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Ltd [2013] FCA 1351 Mees v Roads Corp [2003] FCA 410 Melbourne Fire and Emergency Services Board v United Firefighters’ Union of Australia [2005] AIRC 204 National Australia Bank Ltd v Nautilus Insurance Pte Ltd [2019] FCA 899 National Tertiary Education Industry Union v Swinburne University of Technology [2014] FCA 606 National Tertiary Education Industry Union v University of Sydney [2020] FCA 1709, (2020) 302 IR 272 National Union of Workers v Qantas Airways Ltd [2013] FCA 976, (2013) 216 FCR 1 Newcrest Mining (WA) Ltd v The Commonwealth (1997) 190 CLR 513 NSW Trains [2018] FWCA 2319 One Key Workforce Pty Ltd v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union [2018] FCAFC 77, (2018) 262 FCR 527 Patrick Stevedoring Pty Ltd v Chasser [2011] VSC 597, (2011) 215 IR 411 R v Irvine [2009] VSCA 239, (2009) 25 VR 75 Rankin v Marine Power International Pty Ltd [2001] VSC 150, (2001) 107 IR 117 Re Aurizon Operations Ltd [2015] FWCFB 540, (2015) 249 IR 55 Re Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union v NSW Trains [2020] FWC 4359 Re Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union v NSW Trains [2021] FWCFB 1113 Re The Manufacturing Grocers’ Employees Federation of Australia; Ex parte the Australian Chamber of Manufactures (1986) 160 CLR 341 SOS Nursing & Home Care Services Pty Ltd v Smith [2013] FCA 295 The King v Darling Island Stevedoring Co Ltd; Ex parte Halliday (1938) 60 CLR 601 The King v Kelly; Ex parte the State of Victoria (1950) 81 CLR 64 The University of New South Wales v Moorhouse (1975) 133 CLR 1 Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Ltd v Marmara [2014] FCAFC 84, (2014) 222 FCR 152 Transport Workers’ Union of Australia v Linfox Australia Pty Ltd [2014] FCA 829, (2014) 318 ALR 54 Truth about Motorways Pty Ltd v Macquarie Infrastructure Investment Management Ltd [2000] HCA 11, (2000) 200 CLR 591 United Firefighters’ Union of Australia v Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board [2013] FWCFB 2301, (2013) 233 IR 267 Viskauskas v Niland (1983) 153 CLR 280 Warramunda Village Inc v Pryde [2001] FCA 61, (2001) 105 FCR 437 Work Health Authority v Outback Ballooning Pty Ltd [2019] HCA 2, (2019) 266 CLR 428 Workpac Pty Ltd v Skene [2018] FCAFC 131, (2018) 264 FCR 536 Golding, Terms implied by law into employment contracts: Are they necessary? (2015) 28 AJLL 113
Division:	Fair Work Division
Registry:	New South Wales
National Practice Area:	Employment and Industrial Relations
Number of paragraphs:	251
Date of hearing:	5 – 7 July 2021
Counsel for the Applicant:	Mr I Neil SC with Mr S Meehan, Mr M Seck and Ms R Kumar
Solicitor for the Applicant:	Lander & Rogers
Counsel for the Respondents:	Mr M Gibian SC with Ms L Saunders
Solicitor for the Respondents:	Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union

ORDERS

		NSD 427 of 2021
BETWEEN:	NSW TRAINS Applicant
AND:	AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION First Respondent ; PAUL DORNAN Second Respondent ; EDWARD DUNGER Third Respondent

order made by:	FLICK J
DATE OF ORDER:	3 August 2021

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1. The Amended Originating Application filed on 2 June 2021 is dismissed.

Note: Entry of orders is dealt with in Rule 39.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

FLICK J:

1. The Applicant in the present proceeding is NSW Trains. It is a corporation constituted under s 37(1)...