2025 WAIRC 00535
Engine Drivers' (Building and Steel Construction) Award No. 20 of 1973

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.




27. - WAGES

The weekly wage to be paid to all employees shall be as follows:-

(1) When an employee is engaged on building or steel construction work on site in or in connection with -

(a) the construction, erection, repair, renovation, maintenance, ornamentation, alteration or demolition of a large industrial undertaking or any large civil engineering project or any multi-storey building; or

(b) the construction, erection, repair, renovation, maintenance, ornamentation, alteration or demolition of any structure or civil engineering project which the employer and the union agree, or in the event of disagreement, which the Board of Reference declares to be construction work,

shall consist of the sum of the base rate reflected in Column "A" of subclause (2) and the amounts reflected in subclauses (3), (4) and (5) of this clause.

For an employee engaged on other work than that specified above in (a) or (b) the weekly wage shall consist of the sum of the base rate reflected in Column "B" of subclause (2), and the amounts reflected in subclauses (3), (4) and (5) of this clause.

(2)

Edit Note: Actual weekly amount utilises formula see subclause (6).

Columns added for administrative purposes and reflect sub-clauses 3-5.

CLASSIFICATION
COLUMN A" BASE RATE $
Supplementary Payment $
Industry Allowance $
Actual Weekly Rate amount
A.S.N.A.
Special Allowance
TOTAL WAGE $
0 to 8 tonnes
358.40
52.10
20.57
444.80
651.30
7.70
1103.80
8 to 15 tonnes
368.40
52.10
20.57
455.10
655.00
7.70
1117.80
15 to 40 tonnes
376.90
52.10
20.57
463.80
655.70
7.70
1127.20
40 to 80 tonnes
383.60
52.10
20.57
470.80
658.20
7.70
1136.70
80 to 100 tonnes
388.70
52.10
20.57
476.00
660.20
7.70
1143.90
100 to 140 tonnes
396.30
52.10
20.57
483.90
663.30
7.70
1154.90
140 to 180 tonnes
406.30
52.10
20.57
494.20
666.90
7.70
1168.80
180 to 220 tonnes
419.70
52.10
20.57
508.00
672.30
7.70
1188.00
Over 220 tonnes
437.10
52.10
20.57
526.00
681.80
7.70
1215.50
Tower Crane
400.10
52.10
20.57
487.80
664.70
7.70
1160.20








CLASSIFICATION
"COLUMN B" BASE RATE $
Supplementary Payment $
Industry Allowance$
Actual Weekly Rate amount
A.S.N.A.
Special Allowance
TOTAL WAGE $
0 to 8 tonnes
334.00
52.10
20.57
419.60
641.80
7.70
1069.10
8 to 15 tonnes
340.60
52.10
20.57
426.40
644.40
7.70
1078.50
15 to 40 tonnes
348.40
52.10
20.57
434.40
644.70
7.70
1086.80
40 to 80 tonnes
354.40
52.10
20.57
440.60
647.00
7.70
1095.30
80 to 100 tonnes
359.10
52.10
20.57
445.50
648.90
7.70
1102.10
100 to 140 tonnes
366.00
52.10
20.57
452.60
651.50
7.70
1111.80
140 to 180 tonnes
374.80
52.10
20.57
461.70
654.90
7.70
1124.30
180 to 220 tonnes
386.90
52.10
20.57
474.20
659.50
7.70
1141.40
Over 220 tonnes
403.10
52.10
20.57
490.90
665.70
7.70
1164.30
Stiff Leg Crane
354.70
52.10
20.57
440.90
647.00
7.70
1095.60

(3) (a) Supplementary Payment

Employees shall be paid an additional payment of $52.10 which shall be added to the base rate specified in subclause (2) hereof for the purpose of calculating the actual weekly rate.

The supplementary payment set out in this clause represents a payment in lieu of equivalent overaward payments

(b) Arbitrated Safety Net Payment

Employees shall be paid an arbitrated safety net payment which shall be added to the base rate specified in subclause (2) hereof for the purpose of calculating the actual weekly rate.

The rates of pay in this award include arbitrated safety net adjustments available since December 1993, under the Arbitrated Safety Net Adjustment Principle.

These arbitrated safety net adjustments may be offset against any equivalent amount in the rate of pay received by employees since 1 November 1991 above the rate prescribed in the Award, except where such absorption is contrary to the terms of an industrial agreement.

Increases in rates of pay otherwise made under the State Wage Case Principles, excepting those resulting from enterprise agreements, are not to be used to offset arbitrated safety net adjustments.

(4) Special Allowance

In addition to the base rate specified in subclause (2) hereof employees shall be paid for all purposes of the award a special allowance $7.70 per week and such allowance shall not be altered as a consequence of wage indexation decisions.

(5) Industry Allowance

In addition to the rates specified in subclause (2) an industry allowance of $20.57 per week should be paid to all employees under this award to compensate for the disabilities usually associated with building and steel construction work.

(6) Actual Weekly Rate

The actual weekly rate shall be calculated by multiplying the sum of the appropriate amounts prescribed in subclause (2), subclause (3) (a) and subclause (5) hereof by 52 on 50.4. This subtotal shall be rounded to the nearest ten cents and then have added to it the Arbitrated Safety Net Payment prescribed in subclause (3) (b) and the Special Allowance prescribed in subclause (4) hereof.

(7) Overaward Payment

For the purposes of this clause, overaward payment is defined as the amount in rates of pay which an employee would receive in excess of the minimum award wage (ie base rate, arbitrated safety net and supplementary payment) as prescribed in this award for the classification in which such employee is engaged. Provided that this definition shall exclude overtime, shift allowances, penalty rates, expense related allowances, industry allowances, disability allowances, location allowances, special rates or allowances, responsibility allowances and any other ancillary payments of a like nature prescribed by this award.