Fair Work Commission rules in favour of tradie fired from Palmer Coolum Resort

A workplace watchdog has ordered a building company owned by Clive Palmer to pay a tradesman compensation after 125 construction employees were sacked from a Sunshine Coast resort.

Palmer Coolum Resort. Picture: Patrick Woods.

An electrician who was among more than 100 workers involved in a “mass sacking” at the Palmer Coolum Resort will receive tens of thousands of dollars in compensation after a Fair Work Commission found no valid reason for his termination.

Documents stated 125 employees on the construction team had their contracts terminated by their employer, Drewmaster Pty Ltd, on August 8, 2023.

The ultimate holding company for Drewmaster is listed on Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents as Mineralogy International Limited, a company directed by Clive Palmer.

Electrician and former employee with Drewmaster, Troy Peters, worked on the Palmer Coolum Resort in Yaroomba from March 2021 to August 8, 2023.

The ultimate holding company for Drewmaster is listed on Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents as Mineralogy International Limited, a company directed by Clive Palmer. Picture: John Gass

Within his submissions to the commission, Mr Peters stated he raised concerns with roster changes made by Drewmaster, which he claimed were not discussed with the construction team at Palmer Coolum Resort beforehand.

The change allowed for a one-hour lunch break but removed the two previously allocated “smoko” breaks and altered the work day to begin at 7am and finish at 5pm, as opposed to the previous 6.30am to 4pm.

Workers gathered to collect tools after the mass sacking at the Palmer Coolum Resort in Yaroomba.

Following the confrontation regarding the changes the construction team was sent home and Mr Peters received an email that night informing him of his immediate termination because he was “refusing to carry out duties as directed”, the documents stated.

The termination letter also made allegations there had been “a large amount of dishonesty and theft” on the site, which Mr Peters maintained was not true.

The documents revealed Mr Peters received another email 19 minutes later inviting him to reapply to work on the Palmer Coolum Resort, which he turned down.

Workers outside the Palmer Coolum Resort in Yaroomba.

Drewmaster maintained Mr Peters had not been unfairly dismissed and compensation was not necessary given it had invited him to reapply for a job.

The documents stated Drewmaster made submissions to the commission in which it described the situation at the Palmer Coolum Resort as an “emergency situation with widespread theft, fraud and destruction by the workforce”.

In response to Drewmaster’s submission, Mr Peters questioned the claims made by the building company.

“If the culture of the workforce was that severe and widespread, why would their (sic) be any offer for re-employment by Drewmasterto any ex-construction staff?” Mr Peters said.

“In return why would I apply for a job with a company that refers to and treats their staff like destructive, fraudulent, dishonest, thieving vandals?”

Commissioner Bernie Riordan said he did not accept Drewmaster was offering Mr Peters the same employment when it invited him to reapply, explaining there was no wage provided or indication it was for the same job.

Commissioner Riordan went on to address other claims made by Drewmaster, including those the construction team was fraudulently logging hours and stealing from the site.

“I do not accept that a security issue of this nature warrants the mass sacking of employees, nor can it be described an ‘emergency’,” Commissioner Riordan said.

Commissioner Riordan stated in his decision there was no evidence Mr Peters was involved in any misconduct.

Ultimately Commissioner Riordan found there was no valid reason for Drewmaster terminating Mr Peters employment, describing it as a “sham process” and ordered he be compensated $39,917.68.