2025 WAIRC 00544
Farm 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.




8. – WAGES

The following shall be the minimum hourly rates of wages payable to employees covered by this award:-

(1) Adult Employees:


TOTAL $
Farm Hand

(a) With less than twelve months experience in the industry
25.08
(b) With twelve months experience in the industry
25.08
(c) General Farm Hand
25.08
(d) Tradesperson
25.08

(2) Junior Employees - other than Apprentices:


Percentage of the rate for a Farm Hand with less than twelve months experience
15 years of age
45%
16 years of age
50%
17 years of age
60%
18 years of age
70%
19 years of age
80%
20 years of age
90%

(3) Casual Employees:

A casual employee shall be paid 20 % in addition to the rates prescribed.

(4) Apprentices:

Percentage of weekly rate of wage for a Tradesperson

First year of service 47.5%
Second year of service 71.0%
Third year of service 90.3%

NOTE: CLAUSE 1B(10) PROVIDES FOR MINIMUM RATES OF PAY FOR ADULT APPRENTICES AGED 21 YEARS OR MORE.

9. – TRAINEES

(1) Scope

Subject to subclause (2), this clause applies to persons:

(a) who are undertaking a traineeship;

(b) who are employed by an employer bound by this award; and

(c) whose employment is covered by this award.

(2) Training Conditions

(a) A traineeship will not commence until the relevant training contract:

(i) has been signed by the employer and the trainee (or the trainee’s parent or guardian where applicable); and

(ii) lodged for registration with the state training authority.

(b) The trainee will attend an approved training course or training programme prescribed in the training plan.

(c) The employer will provide a level of supervision and training in accordance with the training plan during the traineeship period.

(d) The employer will permit the trainee to attend the training course or programme provided for in the training plan.

(e) The overall training programme will be monitored by officers of the state training authority and training records or work books may be utilised as part of this monitoring process.

(3) Employment Conditions

(a) A trainee may be engaged for the nominal term applicable to the traineeship, as detailed in the training contract. A trainee may be subject to a satisfactory probation period as detailed in the training contract.

(b) The parties to a training contract may, by agreement in writing, vary the duration of the traineeship and the extent of approved training, provided that any agreement to vary is approved by the state training authority.

(c) An employer must not terminate the employment of a trainee unless:

(i) the trainee has consented to the termination; or

(ii) approval has been obtained from the relevant state training authority.

(d) If the employer terminates the employment of a trainee by consent, the employer must provide written notice to the relevant state training authority.

(e) An employer who chooses not to continue the employment of a trainee upon the completion of the traineeship must notify, in writing, the state training authority of its decision.

(f) The trainee is permitted to be absent from work without loss of wages to attend training in accordance with the training plan.

(g) Where the employment of a trainee by an employer is continued after the completion of the traineeship, the traineeship period will count as service the purposes of this award and any other legislative entitlements.

(h) All other terms and conditions of this award, other than those provided for under this clause, will apply to a trainee.

(i) A trainee who fails to either complete the traineeship, or who cannot for any reason be placed in employment with the employer on successful completion of the traineeship, will not be entitled to any severance payments payable pursuant to termination, change and redundancy provisions.

(j) At the conclusion of the traineeship this clause ceases to apply to the employment of the trainee and the award will apply to the former trainee.

(4) Wages

The minimum weekly wages payable to trainees are as provided below. These wage rates will only apply to trainees while they are undertaking an approved traineeship which includes approved training.

(a) Skill Level A:
Where the accredited training course and work performed are for the purposes of generating skills which have been defined for work at Skill Level A.

HIGHEST YEAR OF SCHOOLING
School Leaver
Year 10
Year 11
Year 12

$
$
$
 



School leaver
323.00
384.00
471.00
Plus 1 year out of school
384.00
471.00
545.00
Plus 2 years out of school
471.00
545.00
640.00
Plus 3 years out of school
545.00
640.00
730.00
Plus 4 years out of school
640.00
730.00

Plus 5 years or more out of school
730.00



(b) Skill Level B:
Where the accredited training course and work performed are for the purposes of generating skills which have been defined for work at Skill Level B.

HIGHEST YEAR OF SCHOOLING
School Leaver
Year 10
Year 11
Year 12

$
$
$
 



School leaver
323.00
384.00
462.00
Plus 1 year out of school
384.00
462.00
527.00
Plus 2 years out of school
462.00
527.00
620.00
Plus 3 years out of school
527.00
620.00
708.00
Plus 4 years out of school
620.00
708.00

Plus 5 years or more out of school
708.00



(c) Skill Level C:
Where the accredited training course and work performed are for the purpose of generating skills which have been defined for work at Industry/Skill Level C.

HIGHEST YEAR OF SCHOOLING
School Leaver
Year 10
Year 11
Year 12

$
$
$
 



School Leaver
323.00
384.00
460.00
Plus 1 year out of school
384.00
460.00
517.00
Plus 2 years out of school
460.00
517.00
581.00
Plus 3 years out of school
517.00
581.00
652.00
Plus 4 years out of school
581.00
652.00

Plus 5 years or more out of school
652.00



(d) Trainees undertaking an AQF IV traineeship must receive the relevant weekly wage rate for AQF III trainees at Skill/Industry Levels A, B and C as applicable with the addition of 3.8% of that wage rate.

(e) For the purposes of this clause “out of school” refers only to periods out of school beyond year 10 and is deemed to:

(i) include any period of schooling beyond year 10 which was not part of nor contributed to a completed year of schooling;

(ii) include any period during which a trainee repeats in whole or part a year of schooling beyond year 10;

(iii) not include any period during a calendar year in which a year of schooling is completed; and

(iv) have effect on an anniversary date being January 1 in each year.

(f) Part time and School Based Trainees

(i) This subclause shall apply to trainees who undertake a traineeship on a part time basis, or as a School Based trainee, by working less than full time hours and by undertaking the approved training at the same or lesser training time than a full-time trainee.

(ii) School Based Trainees will receive the relevant wage rate at Skill/Industry Levels A, B and C as applicable, as for School Leavers.

(iii) The minimum weekly rate of pay for part time and school based trainees shall be calculated by taking the full time rates expressed above multiplied by 1.25. This minimum weekly rate of pay for part time and school based trainees is then divided by 38 in accordance with section 10 of the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993 (WA) to produce a minimum hourly rate of pay.

(5) Industry Skill Levels
The industry skill levels referred to in subclause (4) are those described in the General Order made by the Commission from time to time setting the minimum rates of pay for apprentices for the purposes of the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993 (WA) pursuant to section 50A of the Act.