Changes to the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award

The Fair Work Commission has recently clarified the way some Award provisions apply, and made minor amendments to the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 itself.

What Are the Changes?

There are two broad changes that have been made, effective 29 May 2020:

1. The Award now also applies to vehicle manufacturing employers and employees who were previously covered by the Vehicle Manufacturing, Repair, Services and Retail Award 2010 (the Vehicle Manufacturing Award), and

2. The Award has been updated to a 2020 version, with minor amendments made to the Award itself.

Vehicle Manufacturing Industry

The Fair Work Commission has confirmed that vehicle manufacturing employers and employees are now covered under the Award. This means:

• That there is now a new stream within the Award for vehicle manufacturing.

• There has been a change to the rate of pay for work on a Saturday. Previously, ordinary hours could be worked on a Saturday which was paid at ordinary time. However, under the Award ordinary hours are no longer applicable to Saturday work. Therefore, any work done on a Saturday will be paid for at time and a half.

• The remainder of the clauses that applied to vehicle manufacturing employees in the Vehicle Manufacturing Award have been transferred over to the Award without variation.

Specific Manufacturing Award changes

• The year in the Award name has changed from 2010 to 2020. The Award is now called Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020.

• Our Pay Rate Schedule has been updated to reflect the new 2020 version of the Award. Some rates of pay may have changed by 1-3 cents.

• The Fair Work Commission has clarified that employees who earn above the award minimum rate must be paid this higher rate when taking annual leave.

• The facilitative provisions have been expanded to include other clauses in the Award which can be altered with mutual agreement, including annual leave in advance, cashing out of annual leave and substitution of public holidays.

• Confirmation that ordinary hours for day workers, non-continuous and continuous shiftworkers cannot exceed 8 hours per day.

• Confirmation that an unpaid meal break cannot be less than 20 minutes. In addition, by agreement an employer and an individual employee or majority of employees can agree to work over 5 hours without a break, but not more than 6 hours. In this situation, the employee will be paid for the 6th hour at the rate immediately prior to the end of the 5th hour.

• Confirmation of the rates of pay an employee is entitled to in the event that they work through their break on weekdays, weekends and other occasions.

• ‘Advanced diploma of laboratory operations’ has been added as a minimum training requirement for classifications C3, C4, C5, C7 and C8.

What Do I Need to Do?

Check your rates of pay to ensure you are meeting your minimum pay obligations.

How Can Employsure Help Me?

Not a client? If you need help understanding and implementing these changes, please contact Employsure on 1300 651 415 and we can give you free, initial advice on this topic. If you’d like more help implementing these changes in your business and are interested in ongoing support, Employsure can help you.

Employsure clients affected by the changes to the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award have been notified of these changes by email. Get in contact with Employsure if you have any trouble understanding or implementing these changes.

Not a client? If you do need help understanding and implementing these changes, feel free to ring Employsure on 1300 651 415. We can give you free, initial advice on these changes to the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award.

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