Meat Award [MA000059]

This page is a summary of who the Meat Award covers and doesn’t cover. Find a copy of the award at Meat Award.

Learn how to calculate pay rates and check entitlements from Find pay rates and entitlements.

On this page:

Who the Meat Award covers

The Meat Award covers employers in the meat industry and their employees who fit within the classifications of the award.

The meat industry means businesses that:

  • manufacture meat
  • process meat or
  • retail meat (retail outlet is to be a stand alone business, not as part of a supermarket or like business operations).

It also covers:

  • handling or processing of all by-products, such as skin, hides and rendering
  • distributing, transporting and storage of meat

when it is done by an employer who is manufacturing, processing or retailing meat, or by an employer is who is connected to an employer who does.

Meat refers to:

  • cattle
  • calves
  • buffalo
  • horses
  • mules
  • donkeys
  • sheep
  • lambs
  • goats
  • pigs
  • camels
  • deer
  • kangaroos
  • emus
  • ostriches
  • marine reptiles

and any flesh or other organic products derived from the above (except milk).

Examples of employees covered by the Meat Award include:

  • butchers
  • slaughterers
  • boners
  • salespersons
  • sawyers
  • slicers
  • skin classers
  • smallgoods makers
  • trimmers
  • labourers and assistants (including storeworkers)
  • machine operators.

The Meat Award also covers labour hire businesses and their employees who are placed with an organisation in the meat industry.

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

Source reference: Meat Award [MA000059] clauses 2, 4 and schedule A

Who the Meat Award doesn’t cover

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

  • businesses that manufacture, slaughter, process or sell poultry, game or game birds (eg. chicken retail shops)
  • meat inspectors
  • businesses that distribute, transport and store meat but don’t manufacture, process or sell it
  • machine maintenance employees.

The Meat Award doesn’t cover employers and employees when they are covered by one of the following awards:

  • Nurses Award
  • Retail Award
  • Food and Beverage Manufacturing Award.

Check the award for full information on coverage and classifications.

Source reference: Meat Award [MA000059] clauses 2, 4 and schedule A

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