2025 WAIRC 00617
Printing 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.



11. - RATE OF WAGES

PART 1 RATE OF WAGES;

An adult employees’ minimum award rate of wage is set out in Table A hereof, operative from the beginning of the first pay period commencing on or after 1 July 2025.

TABLE A

GROUP LEVEL
BASE RATE
SAFETY NET ADJUSTMENT
AWARD RATE

$
$
$




1


953.00
2
342.10
610.90
953.00
3
364.60
599.20
963.80
4
385.50
605.20
990.70
5
417.20
614.30
1031.50





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.

Junior and apprentices

Where the work is performed by a junior (other than a junior artist and/or designer or a junior keyboard operator/assembler) not being an apprentice, the minimum rates of wages shall be undermentioned percentages of the wage of an employee working at the rate prescribed for group level 2 of this award for the area in which he is employed:

TABLE B

AGE
% OF LEVEL 2 WAGE


under 16
40
16 years
50
17 years
60
18 years
70
19 years
80
20 years
90

Junior keyboard operator/assembler

The minimum rate of wage payable to a junior employed as a keyboard operator/assembler shall be the award rate of wage prescribed for group level 4 for the area in which he is employed.

Apprentice

Where the work is performed by an apprentice, the minimum rates of wages shall be the undermentioned percentages of the wage of a skilled employee working at the rate prescribed for group level 5 for the area in which he is employed:

TABLE C

YEAR
% OF LEVEL 5 WAGE


First
47.5
Second
60.0
Third
72.5
Fourth
87.5

Junior artist and/or designer (including junior commercial artist)

Where the work is performed by a junior artist and/or designer (including a junior commercial artist) the minimum rates of wages shall be undermentioned percentages of the wage of an employee working at the rate prescribed for group level 4 of this award for the area in which he is employed:

TABLE D

AGE
% OF LEVEL 4 WAGE
under 16 years
40
16 years
50
17 years
60
18 years
70
19 years
80
20 years
90

Adult apprentice

Where the work is performed by an adult apprentice, the minimum rates of wages shall be the undermentioned percentage of the wage of an employee working at the rate prescribed for group level 5 for the area in which he is employed:

TABLE E

YEAR
% OF LEVEL 5 WAGE


First
82.0
Second
87.0
Third
92.0
Fourth
100.0

An adult apprentice who enters his apprenticeship at an advanced stage pursuant to paragraph 36A(3)(b) of this award, shall be deemed, for the purposes of calculating the appropriate wage rate, to have completed the period by which he has been advanced.

Progress to the next year rate of wage shall occur when the balance of the year to which he has been advanced in his apprenticeship is completed.

Traineeship

Where the work is performed by a small offset printing trainee, a printing production support trainee, a print design trainee and a graphic arts merchants trainee under the terms of Clause 36B. - Traineeships, the wage rate shall be as set out in subclause (2) of that clause.

Calculation of rates in table “B”

The rate prescribed for all employees paid in accordance with the provisions of this table shall be calculated in multiples of 10 cents, amounts less than 5 cents being taken to the lower multiple and amounts of 5 cents or more being taken to the higher multiple.

“Overaward payments” is defined as the amount (whether it be termed “overaward payment”, “attendance bonus”, “service increment”, or any other terms whatsoever) which an employee would receive in excess of the “base rate” of pay set out in Table A. Payments such as overtime, shift allowances, penalty rates, disability allowance, fares and travelling time allowance and other ancillary payment of like nature prescribed by this award shall be excluded from the definition.

PART 2 - CLASSIFICATION STRUCTURE

The classification structure relates to an adult employee performing the description of employment set out in the second column below. The Group Level for the adult employee is shown in the third column and the appropriate minimum weekly rate of pay in the fourth column.


COLUMN 2 DESCRIPTION OF EMPLOYMENT
COLUMN 3 GROUP LEVEL
COLUMN 4 MINIMUM WEEKLY WAGE



$
a)
Compositor
5
1031.50
b)
Keyboard Operator
4
990.70
c)
Proof Reader
4
990.70
d)
Proof Readers’ Assistant
2
953.00
e)
Printing Machinist
5
1031.50
f)
Artist/Designer
4
990.70
g)
Graphic Reproducer
5
1031.50

(i) Image Preparer



(ii) Plate Preparer



(iii) Cylinder Preparer


h)
Small Offset Machinist
4
990.70
i)
Non Impact Printing Machinist (including Electronic and Laser Printing Machine Operator)
4
990.70
j)
Binder/Finisher
5
1031.50
k)
Employee employed directly in connection with stationery, system work, addressograph work, paper products
2
953.00
l)
Feeder on any machine
2
953.00
m)
Storeperson
3
963.80
n)
Screen Printing:



(i) Stencil Preparer
5
1031.50

(ii) Power Driven Screen PrintingMachine Operator
3
963.80

(iii) Screen attendant
2
953.00
o)
An employee not otherwise specified
1
953.00





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.

PART 3 - STRUCTURAL EFFICIENCY

(1) Broadbanding

Arising out of the decision of 8 September 1989 in the State Wage Case 69 WAIG 2913 and in consideration of the wage increase resulting from broadbanding of classifications of the rates of pay operative from the beginning of the first pay period to commence on or after 10 November 1989, employees are to perform a wider range of duties including work which is incidental or peripheral to their main tasks or functions. This shall not mean that employees will be required to perform work for which an employee has not been trained.

(2) Commitment

The parties to this Award are committed to the implementation of a new wage and classification structure, classification definitions and in creating appropriate relativities between different employee skill levels within the Award. In making this commitment the parties:

(a) Accept in principle to move constructively and rapidly to the development of a single trade stream for the pre-press area leaving a new structure of three trade streams, pre-press, press and post-press allowing for the broadening of the skill and work of employees in the context of appropriate training provisions. As part of this process employees in trade peripheral to their main tasks or functions. This shall not mean that employees be required to perform work for which an employee has not been trained.

(b) Accept in principle a new Printing Award structure in which descriptions of job functions will be more broadly based and generic in nature.

(c) Undertake that subject to agreement at enterprise level, employees are to undertake training for the wider range of duties for access to higher classifications.

(d) Agree not to create barriers to advancement of employees through access to proper accredited training and the advancement of employees through the new structure.

(e) Will co-operate in the transition from the existing wage and classification structure to the proposed new structure to ensure that the transition takes place in an orderly manner without creating false expectations or disruption.

(3) Award modernisation

(a) The parties to this Award are committed to co-operating positively to increase the efficiency, productivity and international competitiveness of the Graphic Arts Industry and to enhance the career opportunities and job security of employees in the industry.

(b) At each plant or enterprise, an employer, the employees and the Union shall establish participative/consultative mechanisms and procedures appropriate to the size, structure and needs of that enterprise. Measures raised by the employer, the employees or Union for consideration consistent with the objectives of paragraph (a) herein shall be processed through that participative/consultative mechanism and procedure.

(c) Measures raised for consideration consistent with paragraph (b) herein shall be related to the implementation of the new classification structure, the facilitative provisions contained in this Award.

(d) Without limiting the rights of either an employer of the Union to arbitration, any other measure designed to increase flexibility at the plant or enterprise and sought by any party shall be notified to the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission and by agreement of the parties involved shall be implemented subject to the following requirements:

(i) The changes sought shall not affect provisions reflecting national standards.

(ii) The majority of employees affected by the change at the plant or enterprise must genuinely agree to the change.

(iii) No employee shall lose income as a result of the change.

(iv) The Union must be a party to the agreement.

(v) The Union shall not unreasonably oppose any agreement.

(vi) Any agreement shall be subject to approval by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission, and if approved, shall operate as a Schedule to this Award and take precedence over any provision of this Award to the extent of any inconsistency.

(e) Any disputes arising in relation to the implementation of paragraphs (b) to (d) herein shall be subject to the provisions of Clause 51. - Settlement of Disputes, of this Award.

PART 4 - INDEXATION OF OVERAWARD PAYMENTS

It is recommended that in accordance with the Commission's decisions dated 23 September 1983 and 27 October 1983 in the National Wage Case, in circumstances where the wage rates prescribed by this Award are increased by order of a Full Bench of the Commission to reflect movements in the Consumer Price Index as a result of National Wage/Wage Indexation cases employers party to the Award should apply the indexation increase to an employee's actual rate of pay as defined hereunder unless the Commission in the National Wage/Wage Indexation case concerned indicates an attitude that overaward payments should not be so adjusted.

"Actual rate of pay" is defined as the total amount an employee would normally receive for performing 38 hours of ordinary work. Provided that such rate shall expressly exclude overtime, penalty rates, fares and travelling time allowance, and any other ancillary payments of like nature. Provided further that this definition shall not include production bonuses and other methods of payments by results which by virtue of their basis of calculation already produce the results intended by this clause.



36B. - TRAINEESHIPS

The terms of the National Training Wage Interim Award 1994, as varied, shall apply to Traineeships under this clause subject to the following provisions of this clause.

(1) (a) This clause applies to Traineeships Agreements in the following:

Small Offset Printing Traineeship.

(b) For the purposes of this subclause “Traineeship Agreement” means an agreement made subject to the terms of the National Training Wage Interim Award 1994 between an employer and the trainee for a Traineeship and which is registered with the relevant State or Territory Training Authority, NETTFORCE, or under the provisions of the appropriate State or Territory legislation. A Traineeship Agreement shall be made in accordance with the relevant approved Traineeship Scheme and shall not operate unless this condition is met.

(2) Wages

The weekly wages payable to trainees shall be the same as provided in the aforementioned National Training Wage Interim Award 1994 for work defined at industry/skill level B as set out in the following table:

HIGHEST YEAR OF SCHOOLING COMPLETED
School Leaver
Year 10 and below
Year 11
Year 12

$
$
$
 
286.00 (50%)*
336.00 (33%)
350.00 (33%)
400.00 (25%)
467.00
plus 1 year out of school
400.00
467.00
546.00
plus 2 years
467.00
546.00
626.00
plus 3 years
546.00
626.00
716.00
plus 4 years
626.00
716.00
 
plus 5 years
716.00
 
 

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) Supersession

Any former award provision for the Australian Traineeship System (ATS) or the Career Start Traineeship (CST) shall not apply to any employer except in relation to ATS or CST trainees who commenced a traineeship with the employer before the employer was subject to the application for this clause.