Application by The Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association (107N)
Citation: [2026] FWC 2203
At a glance
- Employees affected
- 11
What happened
The Applicant applied to the Fair Work Commission for a majority support determination under section 236 of the Fair Work Act 2009. This application concerns Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd (the Respondent), where the Applicant represents Maintenance Watch Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (MW LAMEs). The Applicant had previously requested bargaining with Virgin Australia, but negotiations have not yet commenced. The Respondent did not object to the application and provided a list of affected employees.
What was decided
The Fair Work Commission granted the Application for a majority support determination. Deputy President Lake found that a majority of employees want to bargain, Virgin Australia has not agreed to bargain, the group of employees was fairly chosen, and it is reasonable to make the determination. The decision states 9 out of 11 affected employees signed a petition seeking this determination. A separate Determination was issued (PR810999).
What it means for employers
Employers should be aware that unions can seek majority support determinations when they want to initiate enterprise bargaining negotiations and the employer is unwilling to engage. Providing information requested by the Commission, such as employee lists, is necessary.
What it means for employees
Employees represented by a union may benefit from a majority support determination which facilitates enterprise agreement negotiations with their employer. This can lead to improved terms and conditions of employment through collective bargaining.
Want this applied to your situation?
Reading the decision is free. FairWork Mate goes further — it reads the full case library and applies precedents like this one to your specific facts, citing the cases as it reasons. General information, not a guaranteed outcome or legal advice.
Every statement above is drawn from the published decision. Read the original here:
https://www.fwc.gov.au/documents/decisionssigned/pdf/2026fwc2203.pdfWant more cases like this?
FairWork Mate tracks Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Commission and Federal Court decisions across Australia. The AI advisor answers plain-English questions grounded on the full corpus — awards cited, industry, penalty amounts and affected employee counts — with a citation to the underlying decision on every answer.
Individual case summaries on this site are free. The full FWC and Federal Court library behind every advisor answer is on Pro.
FairWork Mate AI
This is one decision. Pro reads all of them.
Free case pages cite the top 250 decisions. Pro opens the full Fair Work Commission and Federal Court library, cross-references your own situation against it, and cites the decision behind every answer — plus document upload, so it can read your letter or contract line by line. 150 questions a month, cancel anytime.
Just need this week sorted? A 7-Day Pass is 50 questions over 7 days, no account. Get a 7-Day Pass — $14.99
Get notified on new Fair Work cases
Free email alerts when we publish new underpayment decisions, penalty orders, and workplace law updates.
Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
This summary was drafted from the published decision and reviewed before publishing. It is general information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, speak to the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified lawyer. About these summaries & corrections