Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

WORKPLACE RELATIONS AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT ACT 1996 - SCHEDULE 2

Workplace Relations Act 1996

1  Subsection 4(1) (definition of relevant Presidential Member )

Omit “is a member”, substitute “has been given the responsibility by the President for organising and allocating the work”.

2  At the end of section 36

Add:

             (2)  When exercising powers under this section and section 37, the President must have regard to the improved:

                     (a)  efficiency of the Commission; and

                     (b)  cooperation between the Commission and State industrial authorities;

that may be achieved by the Commission’s powers and functions being exercised and performed, in relation to a particular matter, by members of State industrial authorities who hold secondary offices as members of the Commission.

             (3)  If application is made under section 111AAA for the Commission to cease dealing with the whole or part of an industrial dispute in relation to particular employees, the President must give consideration to arranging for the matter to be heard by a member of a State industrial authority who holds a secondary office as a member of the Commission or, if the application is to be heard by a Full Bench, by a Full Bench which includes such a member.

3  Subsections 37(1) and (2)

Repeal the subsections, substitute:

             (1)  The President may assign an industry or group of industries to a panel of members of the Commission consisting of at least one Presidential Member and at least one Commissioner and, subject to this Act and any direction of the President, the powers of the Commission in relation to that industry (other than powers exercisable by a Full Bench) shall, as far as practicable, be exercised by a member or members of the panel.

          (1A)  Even though an industry has been assigned to a panel, the President may direct that the powers of the Commission in relation to a particular matter relating to that industry are to be exercised by:

                     (a)  a member of the Commission who is not a member of that panel; or

                     (b)  members of the Commission, some or all of whom are not members of that panel.

             (2)  If more than one Presidential Member is assigned to a panel, the President must nominate one of the Presidential Members to organise and allocate the work of the panel.