2025 WAIRC 00472
ARTS AND CULTURE TRUST - THEATRICAL EMPLOYEES AWARD

1B. - MINIMUM ADULT AWARD WAGE

(1) No employee aged 21 or more shall be paid less than the minimum adult award wage unless otherwise provided by this clause.

(2) The minimum adult award wage for full-time employees aged 21 or more working under an award that provides for a 38-hour week is $953.00 per week.

The minimum adult award wage for full-time employees aged 21 or more working under awards that provide for other than a 38-hour week is calculated as follows: divide $953.00 by 38 and multiply by the number of ordinary hours prescribed for a full-time employee under the award.

The minimum adult award wage is payable from the beginning of the first pay period commencing on or after 1 July 2025.

(3) The minimum adult award wage is deemed to include all State Wage order adjustments from State Wage Case decisions.

(4) Unless otherwise provided in this clause adults aged 21 or more employed as casuals, part-time employees or piece workers or employees who are remunerated wholly on the basis of payment by results, shall not be paid less than pro rata the minimum adult award wage according to the hours worked.

(5) Employees under the age of 21 shall be paid no less than the wage determined by applying the percentage prescribed in the junior rates provision in this award (if applicable) to the minimum adult award wage, provided that no employee shall be paid less than any applicable minimum rate of pay prescribed by the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993.

(6) The minimum adult award wage shall not apply to apprentices, employees engaged on traineeships or government approved work placement programs or employed under the Commonwealth Government Supported Wage System or to other categories of employees who by prescription are paid less than the minimum award rate, provided that no employee shall be paid less than any applicable minimum rate of pay prescribed by the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993.

(7) Liberty to apply is reserved in relation to any special category of employees not included here or otherwise in relation to the application of the minimum adult award wage.

(8) Subject to this clause the minimum adult award wage shall –

(a) Apply to all work in ordinary hours.

(b) Apply to the calculation of overtime and all other penalty rates, superannuation, payments during any period of paid leave and for all purposes of this award.

(9) Minimum Adult Award Wage

The rates of pay in this award include the minimum weekly wage for employees aged 21 or more payable under the 2025 State Wage order. Any increase arising from the insertion of the minimum wage will be offset against any equivalent amount in rates of pay received by employees whose wages and conditions of employment are regulated by this award which are above the wage rates prescribed in the award. Such above award payments include wages payable pursuant to enterprise agreements, consent awards or award variations to give effect to enterprise agreements and over award arrangements. Absorption which is contrary to the terms of an agreement is not required.

Increases under previous State Wage Case Principles or under the current Statement of Principles, excepting those resulting from enterprise agreements, are not to be used to offset the minimum wage.

(10) Adult Apprentices

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of this clause, the minimum adult apprentice wage for a full-time apprentice aged 21 years or more working under an award that provides for a 38-hour week is $791.30 per week.

(b) The minimum adult apprentice wage for a full-time apprentice aged 21 years or more working under an award that provides for other than a 38-hour week is calculated as follows: divide $791.30 by 38 and multiply by the number of ordinary hours prescribed for a full-time apprentice under the award.

(c) The minimum adult apprentice wage is payable from the beginning of the first pay period commencing on or after 1 July 2025.

(d) Adult apprentices aged 21 years or more employed on a part-time basis shall not be paid less than pro rata the minimum adult apprentice wage according to the hours worked.

(e) The rates paid in the paragraphs above to an apprentice 21 years of age or more are payable on superannuation and during any period of paid leave prescribed by this award.

(f) Where in this award an additional rate is expressed as a percentage, fraction or multiple of the ordinary rate of pay, it shall be calculated upon the rate prescribed in this award for the actual year of apprenticeship.



20. - RATES OF PAY

The minimum weekly award rate of pay to be paid to an employee shall be as follows -




TOTAL MINIMUM AWARD RATE



$
(1)

Stage Management Section






(a)
Technical Stage Manager
1178.20

(b)
Stage Manager
1142.30

(c)
Assistant Stage Manager
1024.80




(2)

Mechanical Department






(a)
Workshop






(i)
Head carpenter
1125.70

(ii)
Carpenter
1046.00

(iii)
Carpenter’s assistant
1003.20





(b)
Stage






(i)
Head mechanist/head road manager
1125.70

(ii)
Mechanist/head fly operator/road manager
1046.00

(iii)
Stage hand/fly operator
1003.20






Loading for stage hands in charge of side/revolve truck: 8 per cent.





(3)

Lighting Departments






(a)
Head Lighting technician/
1125.70

(b)
Lighting technician
1046.00

(c)
Lighting Hand
1003.20






Loading for Lighting Hand who is required to operate spots/auxiliary switchboard/visual effects: 8 per cent.





(4)

Audio/Audiovisual Department






(a)
Head audio technician/Head Audiovisual technician
1125.70

(b)
Audio/Audiovisual technician
1046.00

(c)
Audio/audiovisual hand
1003.20






N.B. Where there is no separate audio department the audio technician/hand shall be classified under (3) Lighting Department.





(5)

Wardrobe Section






(a)
Workshop






(i)
Head of wardrobe
1125.70

(ii)
Cutter/tailor/ wigmaker/milliner
1046.00

(iii)
Maintenance hand/buyer/costume jeweller
1003.20





(b)
Stage






(i)
Head of department
1125.70

(ii)
Wardrobe hand/dresser/valet
1046.00




(6)

Prop Department






(a)
Workshop






(i)
Prop master
1125.70

(ii)
Prop maker
1046.00

(iii)
Prop hand
1003.20





(b)
Stage






(i)
Prop master
1125.70

(ii)
Prop hand
1003.20




(7)

Art Department






(a)
Scenic Artist
1125.70

(b)
Assistant scenic artist
1046.00

(c)
Artist’s labourer
1003.20




(8)

Services






(a)
Receptionist/telephonist (enquiry clerk)
1003.20

(b)
Firefighter
1003.20

(c)
Utility person
1003.20

(d)
Stage Door Keeper
1003.20




(9)

Cleaners






(a)
Head cleaner
1003.20

(b)
Cleaner
1003.20






Engaged by the hour (with a minimum payment as of three and a half hours).
$










8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
30.10


6.00 p.m. to midnight
45.15


midnight to 8.00 a.m.
60.20




(10)

Skilled labour not classified elsewhere
1125.70




(11)

Unskilled labour not classified elsewhere
1003.20




(12)

Additional Rates





Persons employed as casuals in the following classifications shall be paid the specified hourly amounts in addition to the wage provided elsewhere:







TOTAL MINIMUM AWARD RATE



$


Main Lighting/Audio/Audiovisual technician
1.70


Head fly operator
1.52


Person in charge of side
0.70




(13)

Front of House (38 hour week)
$





(a)
Senior Booking Office Supervisor
1178.60

(b)
Head Booking Clerk (i.e. one who supervises the staff)
1134.80

(c)
Booking Clerk (including party bookings)
1093.30

(d)
Ticket Seller
1017.40

(e)
Programme/concession sellers/ushers/ticket takers/cloakroom attendant
978.40

Booking clerks and ticket sellers shall not be held responsible for cash shortages when they are instructed to allow another employee (including the manager of the venue) access to their cash or tickets during a selling period.

(14) Subclause (15) applies whenever a State Wage Case decision is issued by the Commission, increasing adult rates of pay in State awards by a flat dollar amount.

(15) The State Wage Case increase is to be applied to adult weekly rates of pay in this Award for the classifications under subclauses (1) to (11) in accordance with the following formula:

Step 1: Divide the flat dollar increase by 38 (and round to the nearest cent)
Step 2: Multiply the figure calculated in Step 1 by 40

Example: The Commission awards an $18.00 per week increase to adult weekly rates of pay

Step 1 = $18.00 ÷38 = $0.47
Step 2 = $0.47 x 40 = $18.80

In this example adult weekly rates of pay would be increased by $18.80 per week.

(16) The appropriate per hour rate for casual employees is calculated by dividing the total per week rate (as specified in this Clause 20. - Rates of Pay) for the relevant classification by the total number of ordinary hours required to be worked by a weekly employee in that classification and adding a 20 per cent loading on such hourly rates so calculated.

(17) A casual employee working between midnight and 8.00 a.m. on any week day (Monday - Friday) in connection with a performance shall be paid at double the rate prescribed in subclause 20(16) for those hours between midnight and 8.00 a.m.

(18) Casual employees not required to work a performance shall be paid at the following hourly rates which include loading for casual work, with a minimum payment for three and one half hours -


$




8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
30.10

6.00 p.m. to midnight
45.15

midnight to 8.00 a.m.
60.20


(19) Casual back stage employees engaged for a performance when required for bumping out work between the conclusion of the performance on Saturday night and 8.00 a.m. Sunday shall be paid $31.82 per hour with a minimum payment of three and a half hours.

(a) If engaged for a performance, additional work associated with that performance shall be paid in accordance with subclause 20(16). Such engagement shall be continuous.

(b) Casual employees engaged for work not associated with a performance who work in excess of three and a half hours and then work a performance shall continue to be paid as prescribed in subclause 20(18) of Clause 20. - Rates of Pay for all work on that day.