IN BRIEF
Hutchison Ports' recent dismissal of nearly 100 of its
employees by a midnight text message has made headlines around
Australia. It has also sparked outrage and huge protests amongst
its workforce.
This article looks at some of the issues arising from this
communication style when it comes to terminating employment.
THE FACTS
The text messages reportedly stated:
"Please check email address that payslips are sent to
for a personal letter regarding a redundancy program
notification.
You are not required for your allocated shift. Please
disregard your most recent work order."
The email then confirmed the worker's redundancy.
While the Fair Work Commission's involvement in the
matter so far, has been focused on the alleged illegality of the
resulting pickets outside Hutchison's Sydney and Brisbane
container terminals, the facts of the case raise questions about
the general lawfulness of dismissing an employee by text
message.
