Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award

If you operate in manufacturing or an associated industry in Australia - metal and engineering, fabrication, food and beverage production, and many other process and production fields - and employ staff who are not award-free, the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 (MA000010) very often applies. It is one of the broadest awards. Some manufacturing sectors have their own specific awards, so confirm coverage against the Fair Work source before setting pay and conditions.

MA000010 uses a skills-based classification structure, commonly expressed as C-level classifications anchored to the C10 trade benchmark, with bands below for lower-skilled work and above for advanced trade, technical and supervisory roles. You place each employee at the level matching their skills, qualifications and actual duties, then pay at least that minimum. Competency and additional skills can lift an employee up the scale. Read the current rate for the correct classification from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Casual employees are paid an hourly rate plus a casual loading, commonly 25% across modern awards, in place of paid leave and other permanent entitlements. The loading interacts with shift, weekend and overtime provisions, so casual pay in a manufacturing setting is rarely a simple flat add-on. Treat 25% as a guide only and confirm the exact loading, and how it combines with penalties and shift work, for this award on the Fair Work source before running pay.

Ordinary hours worked on Saturdays and Sundays attract weekend penalties under the award, and these can combine with shift loadings on a multi-shift operation. As a general guide across awards, Saturday penalties commonly run around 25% and Sunday around 50%, but MA000010 sets its own figures, with different treatment for shift workers and casuals. Confirm the current weekend rates for the relevant shift and employment type on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing pay.

Public holiday entitlements flow from the National Employment Standards and the award. As a guide, public holiday work across awards can attract penalties of up to 150%, and employees who would normally work that day but do not because it is a public holiday are generally entitled to their ordinary pay. The award's provisions determine what applies to a given shift and employment type, so verify the current public holiday entitlement on the Fair Work source.

Overtime generally applies to hours beyond the ordinary hours set by the award, such as exceeding daily or weekly limits or working outside the spread of ordinary hours, and shift workers have their own arrangements. Overtime steps up after the first couple of hours, with higher rates on Sundays and public holidays. Importantly, all-purpose allowances form part of the rate used to calculate overtime. Confirm the current overtime multipliers and the correct base for your employees on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Part-time employees work fewer than full-time hours on a reasonably predictable pattern, and the award generally requires a written agreement setting out the agreed hours, days and times, with changes agreed in writing. Part-timers receive pro-rata leave and the same classification minimum rates as full-timers. Hours worked outside the agreed pattern may attract overtime. Check the part-time provisions in the award for the full requirements before engaging someone on that basis.

Apprentices are paid on percentage-based scales that increase with the year and competency stage of the apprenticeship, and adult apprentices have separate provisions reflecting their circumstances. Junior rates can apply to younger employees in some roles, expressed as a percentage of the relevant adult rate. Track each apprentice's stage or each junior's age, and confirm the current resulting rate on the Fair Work Pay Calculator, since the percentages apply to figures that change every July.

MA000010 carries an extensive set of allowances central to correct pay. They include industry and tool allowances, leading hand allowances, and numerous disability allowances for heat, cold, height, confined spaces, and dirty or hazardous work, plus first aid, meal and vehicle allowances. Several are all-purpose, forming part of the rate for penalties and overtime. Identify which apply to each role, note which are all-purpose, and confirm the current amounts on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Yes. Annual leave loading is an extra payment on top of base pay when an employee takes paid annual leave, set at 17.5% under this award. It applies to full-time and part-time employees, while casuals do not accrue annual leave. Some continuous shift workers may have alternative arrangements where their shift loadings would otherwise exceed the loading. Apply the loading when processing leave payments and confirm the calculation against the Fair Work source.

Award minimum rates and many allowances are reviewed each year in the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review and take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. The 2026 review increased modern award minimums by 4.75%. You must apply the new rates from that pay period, not the calendar date, so verify the current figures for each classification, allowance and apprentice stage on the Fair Work Pay Calculator every year.

An all-purpose allowance is added to the base rate before penalties and overtime are calculated, so it lifts the value of every loaded hour, not just ordinary time. Under MA000010, allowances such as certain industry and leading hand allowances are all-purpose, which means leaving them out of the overtime base systematically underpays affected staff. Identify which allowances are all-purpose for each role and confirm both the amounts and the calculation method against the Fair Work source.

The risks with MA000010 sit in the detail: skills-based classification against the C-level structure, the large set of allowances including all-purpose ones that lift the overtime base, apprentice progression, stacked shift and weekend penalties, and rates refreshed every July. The safest approach is to anchor every figure to the Fair Work Pay Calculator and review pay each 1 July. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for manufacturers, mapping roles to the correct classifications, allowances and penalties so figures stay current and accurate.

Motor vehicle repair, service and retail has its own award.

Food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing is covered by its own award.

Printing and graphic arts work sits under the Graphic Arts Award.