Application by Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia (128V)
Citation: [2026] FWC 3325
What happened
The Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia (CEPU) applied for a protected action ballot order under section 437 of the Fair Work Act 2009. This relates to employees of Note Printing Australia Limited (NPAL). The Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) also made a similar application. NPAL did not formally object to the application, but raised concerns about the proposed industrial action. The CEPU stated it had been genuinely trying to reach an agreement with NPAL.
What was decided
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) granted the CEPU’s application for a protected action ballot order. The ballot will be conducted by Vero Engagement & Voting Solutions Pty Ltd, an approved ballot agent. Voting must close by 15 September 2026. The FWC also ordered a compulsory conciliation conference for bargaining representatives to facilitate negotiations. A separate order was issued as PR813867.
What it means for employers
Employers should be aware of union applications for protected action ballots, even if they believe an agreement is close. While NPAL didn't object, they reserved the right to raise concerns later. This highlights the importance of carefully considering proposed industrial action and its potential impact.
What it means for employees
Employees should be aware of the ballot process and the potential for protected industrial action. The union has demonstrated it has been attempting to negotiate an agreement with the employer.
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/2026fwc3325.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 today sorted? A Day Pass is 25 questions over 24 hours. No account, nothing to cancel.
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