Who the Manufacturing Award covers

The Manufacturing Award covers employers in manufacturing and associated industries and their employees who fit within the classifications of the award.

Employees are also covered if they work in particular jobs, and their employer is not covered by another award with a more appropriate classification.

The manufacturing and associated industries means:

• metal work
• manufacture of products associated with metal
• flooring and furniture products and furnishings (other than wood)
• rubber, plastic and cable making
• glue and other adhesives
• vehicle manufacturing
• associated industries.

Examples of employers and employees covered by the Manufacturing Award include:

• engineering and manufacturing tradespersons and apprentices (eg. boiler makers, welders, fitter and turners)
• labourers and factory hands in the manufacturing and associated industries
• laboratory technicians and testers
• bottle merchants
• carpet layers (unless they are employed in the retail industry)
• locksmiths
• farriers (unless in the racing industry) and blacksmiths.

The particular jobs covered by the Manufacturing Award are:

• maintenance employees in the engineering streams (electrical/electronic, mechanical and fabrication work)
• draughtspersons in the fields of engineering, laboratory or scientific practice (excluding employees in the building and construction industry)
• production planners
• trainee engineers
• trainee scientists
• technical workers such as laboratory technicians and testers mainly engaged in scientific or engineering work on:
  • analytical, investigational, developmental, experimental or research work related to chemical, biochemical, physical chemical, bacteriological physics, physical testing or metallurgical processes
  • investigational, developmental, experimental, research or technical control work in manufacturing or pilot plants, or
  • assisting with the above, taking care of equipment and materials or recording or tabulating results for these jobs
• engine drivers.

Metal work

Metal work includes:

• metal fabrication
• sheet metal work
• welding
• boiler making, erection and repair
• metal moulding
• metal machining
• processing of metals
• wire and the drawing and insulation of wire.

Metal work includes the manufacture, assembly, processing, treatment, fabrication and preparation of all types of metals. It also includes the manufacture, making, assembly, processing, treatment, fabrication and preparation of any products, structures, articles, parts or substances made from or containing metal.

Manufacture of products associated with metal

The Manufacturing Award includes manufacturing, assembling, processing, treating, fabricating and preparing the following products:

• ships, boats, barges and marine vessels
• locomotives, rolling stock and railway lines
• aircrafts and components
• industrial machinery
• tools, saws, dies, gauges and moulds
• electrical, electronic, telecommunications, lighting, radio, television and X-ray products (excluding employees of electrical contractors covered by the Electrical Award)
• recording, measuring and controlling devices
• household and kitchen utensils and appliances
• toys and sporting goods
• agricultural implements and machinery
• batteries
• lifts and elevators
• air-conditioning plant/equipment (excluding employees of electrical contractors covered by the Electrical Award and employees of employers covered by the Building Award or Plumbing Award)
• jewellery, watches and clocks
• motor engines, motor cars, motor cycles and other motor driven vehicles and components (excluding employees of employers that are in the vehicle repair industry covered by the Vehicle Award)
• medical and optical instruments and equipment
• artificial fertilizers and chemicals
• fungicides, insecticides, vermin destroyer and weed destroyer
• paint, decorative or protective surface coatings/covering and associated products
• rope, cordage, twine, yarn, thread and braid made from jute or flax or another fibre or synthetic fibre
• musical instruments (other than wood)
• non-food grocery products such as candles, soap, shoe polish and furniture polish.

It also covers processing, treating and preparing and manufacturing products from the following materials and substances:

• industrial gases
• clay and ceramic
• cork and cork products
• skins, pelts, leather, canvas, and substitutes
• all types of flat glass and fibreglass and substitutes
• gypsum, plasterboard, fibre cement and similar materials.

Flooring and furniture products and furnishings (other than wood)

The Manufacturing Award covers the repair, refurbishment, reconditioning, maintenance, installation, testing and fault finding of floor coverings (such as lino or carpet).

The Manufacturing Award covers the manufacturing, assembling, processing, treatment, fabricating and preparing:

• upholstery, drapery, blinds (other than wood), screens, awnings, mattresses and bedding
• flooring products (other than wood)
• furnishings including those made from cane, bamboo and similar materials
• picture frames (other than wood)
• furniture (other than wood).

Rubber, plastic and cablemaking

The Manufacturing Award covers the manufacture, assembly, processing, treatment, fabrication and preparation of:

• rubber or plastic and substitutes
• all products made from rubber and plastic and substitutes
• synthetic resins, powders, tablets etc used in the plastics industry
• thermoplastics and/or thermosetting plastics and allied products
• power and transmission cables (excluding installation and maintenance work carried out in the power industry).

Glue and other adhesives

The Manufacturing Award covers the manufacture, making, assembly, processing, treatment, fabrication and preparation of:

• all types of tapes including cellulose adhesive tape, masking, cloth, metal, paper, plastic tapes in rolls or sheet form, adhesives, laminates and associated machinery or dispensing products
• glue, gelatine and their by-products, dried residues and adhesives of all descriptions, and other similar materials.

Vehicle manufacturing

The Manufacturing Award covers the manufacture, assembly, or repairing of:

• carriages
• carts
• wagons
• trucks
• motor cars
• bodies
• motorcycles
• railway cars
• tram cars
• side-cars or other vehicles or parts or components or accessories in wood, metal and/or other materials.

It also includes the manufacturing, assembling, fabricating, installing, servicing, maintaining, reconditioning or repairing of engines or vehicle servicing equipment and agricultural machinery or implements or similar.

Associated industries

The Manufacturing Award also covers employers and employees who are coating, painting, lacquering, electroplating, bronzing or otherwise coating any of the products listed above.

It includes the repair, refurbishment, reconditioning, maintenance, installation, testing and fault finding of:

• any of the products listed above
• plant, equipment and buildings (including power supply) in any other industry (excluding employees of electrical contractors covered by the Electrical Award, and employees of employers that are in the building industry when there is a more appropriate classification under the Building Award).

The following industries and activities are also covered by the Manufacturing Award:

• mechanical and electrical engineering (excluding professional engineers with a degree covered by the Professional Employees Award)
• printing and processing photographs from film (excluding employees of employers in the retail industry covered by the Retail Award)
• handling, sorting, packing, dispatching, distribution and transport in connection with any of the above
• cleaning in a manufacturing business.

The Manufacturing Award also covers labour hire businesses and their employees who are placed with an organisation in the manufacturing and associated industries and occupations and covers labour hire employees working in jobs that are covered, if the organisation they are placed with is not covered by another award with a more appropriate classification.

Check the award for full information on who is covered and the classification descriptions.

Source reference: Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award [MA000010] clauses 2, 4 and schedules A and B

Who the Manufacturing Award doesn't cover

The following employers and employees are not covered by the Manufacturing Award:

• clerical or administrative employees
• businesses manufacturing furniture and flooring products from wood covered by the Timber Award
• plumbers (unless they are employed by businesses covered by this award)
• electrical contractors
• glaziers covered by the Joinery Award or the Building Award
• the sugar industry (unless the work is done by certain contractors)
• security personnel
• gardeners
• contract cleaners
• cleaners who don't clean factories covered by this award
• work on locomotives, rolling stock and railway lines by employees:
  • employed by a rail transport operator, or
  • in the on-site building and construction industry
• installing and maintaining transmission cables in the:
  • power industry
  • telecommunications industry
  • on-site building and construction industry.

Check the award for full information on coverage and classifications.

Source reference: Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award [MA000010] clauses 2, 4 and schedule A

Not the right award?

If your industry or work isn’t covered above, you can also check:

• Joinery Award summary
• Food and Beverage Manufacturing Award summary
• Building and Construction Award summary
• Electrical Award summary
• Vehicle Award summary
• Plumbing Award summary
• Retail Award summary
• Professional Award summary.

Find your pay and entitlements

• Calculate pay
• Calculate leave
• Calculate notice and redundancy
• Download the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award [MA000010] Pay Guide (DOCX) | (PDF) for a summary of pay rates, all allowances and common penalties in this award.

Pay and entitlements less than the award?

Employees must be paid at least award pay rates and entitlements.

If your pay rates are less than the award, go to Help resolving workplace issues to follow our step by step guide on how you can fix it.

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