2025 WAIRC 00605
Particle Board Employees' Award, 1964

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.




5. - WAGES

It is a term of this award that the union undertakes for the duration of the Principles determined by the Commission in Court Session in Application No. 704 of 1991 not to pursue any extra claims, award or over award except when consistent with the State Wage Principles.

(1) The minimum rates of wage payable to employees covered by this Award shall be:


Rate of Wage$
Supplementary Payment$
ASNA
Award Rate$





Grade 1



953.00
Trainee Operator




Yard Hand




Packaging




Machine Assistant




Factory Hand









Grade 2



953.00
Flaker/Knife Room Operator




Overlay Operator




Log Deck/Chipping Operator




Glue Mixer




Paper Impregnation Operator




Log Tower Operator




Gatekeeper









Grade 3



953.00
Residue & Waste Operator




Flooring & Grading Operator




Log Deck Loader




Knife Setter & Grinder & Changing Knives









Grade 4
362.70
15.90
574.40
953.00
Laboratory Assistant




Finishing Line




Logyard Loader




Panel Saw Operator




Sanding & Grading Operator









Grade 5
378.70
15.90
577.10
971.70
Drier Operator




Despatch




Forming Machine Operator




Relief Operator




Press Operator




Resin Plant Operator









Grade 6
396.30
15.90
582.00
994.20
Senior Melamine Operator




Senior Finishing Operator




Senior Shift Operator






(2) Junior Employee: (percentage of sum of Grade 1 rate of wage $931.60 and supplementary payments prescribed):



%
BASE RATE$
SUPPLE-MENTARY PAYMENT$
ASNA
AWARD RATE$






Between 15 and 16 years of age
40



372.60
Between 16 and 17 years of age
50



465.80
Between 17 and 18 years of age
60



559.00
Between 18 and 19 years of age
70



652.10
Between 19 and 20 years of age
80



745.30
Between 20 and 21 years of age
95
310.46
15.10
559.44
885.00


The rates

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.

(3) Leading Hands:

(a) A leading hand, if placed in charge of three to ten employees shall be paid $14.90 per week in addition to the appropriate wage prescribed.

(b) A leading hand, if placed in charge of eleven to twenty employees shall be paid $22.40 per week in addition to the appropriate wage prescribed.

(4) Supplementary Payments:

(a) As shown in the rates payable under the provisions of this clause -

(i) an employee, other than a junior employee, shall be paid a supplementary payment of $15.90 per week; and

(ii) a junior employee shall be paid per week a percentage of the $15.90 being the percentage which appears against his/her age in subclause (2) of this clause.

(b) (i) The supplementary payments as prescribed in paragraph (a) hereof are in substitution for any overaward payment as defined hereunder. Any such over award payment applicable at the time of the introduction of supplementary payments into the Award shall be reduced by the amount of the supplementary payment prescribed for the classification concerned.

(ii) "Over award payment" is defined as the amount (whether it be termed "over award payment", "attendance bonus", "service increment", or any term whatsoever) which an employee would receive in excess of the "base rate" for the classification in which such employee is engaged, provided that such payment shall exclude overtime, shift allowances, penalty rates, disability allowances, fares and travelling time allowances and any other ancillary payments of a like nature prescribed by this Award.

(iii) Subject to subclause (5) of this clause, the Award rate prescribed in subclauses (1) and (2) of this clause and which includes the supplementary payment also prescribed within this clause shall be paid for all purposes of the Award.

(c) The supplementary payments prescribed by this clause shall not be payable to employees during their first month of employment with the employer.

(5) Calculation of Wage Rates - State Wage Case Decisions:

In circumstances where award wages are to be increased as a result of State Wage Case Decisions, the amount of the increase shall be calculated and applied to the wages clause as follows:

(a) Where the State Wage Case Decision provides that Award wages be increased by a flat amount, that amount shall be applied to the award Base Rate only.

(b) Where the State Wage Case Decision provides that Award wages be increased by a percentage amount, that amount shall be applied to the award Base Rate and the Supplementary Payment.

Such a percentage increase shall also apply to the leading hand allowances, the special payment and the disability allowances.

(c) In the instances outlined in paragraphs (a) and (b) hereof the new award rate shall be calculated by adding the award Base Rate and the Supplementary Payment.

(d) Where the State Wage Case Decision provides for a plateau formula (that is, a combination of a percentage increase and a flat money amount), the plateau level shall be determined by reference to the award Base Rates, and the Award rate and the Supplementary Payment shall be calculated by subtracting the award Base Rate from the Award rate.