Port Authorities Award

If you are a port authority or a related employer operating port facilities or services in Australia and engage staff who are not award-free, the Port Authorities Award 2020 (MA000051) generally applies to those employees. Some functions, such as stevedoring or vessel crewing, are covered by separate awards. Confirm coverage for your particular operations and roles against the Fair Work source before setting pay and conditions.

Match each employee to the level that reflects the work they actually do, using the classification definitions in the award, which describe the skills, qualifications and responsibilities for operational, trades, technical and administrative roles and the bands above them. Title alone is not enough; assess the real duties. Once you have the correct level, look up its current minimum rate on 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 entitlements casuals do not receive. In a continuous operation the loading can interact with shift and weekend arrangements, so treat 25% as a guide only. Confirm the exact current casual loading, and how it combines with shift work, for this award on the Fair Work source before running pay.

Saturday and Sunday work attracts weekend penalties on top of the ordinary rate. As a general guide, Saturday is commonly around 25% and Sunday around 50% across awards, and these can combine with shift loadings on a continuous port roster. The figures MA000051 actually sets depend on the shift and employment type, so confirm the current Saturday and Sunday rates on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing pay.

Work on a public holiday is paid at a significant premium, which across awards can reach up to 150% of the ordinary rate, and a minimum engagement may apply. 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 own provisions govern what applies to a given shift, so verify the current public holiday entitlement for MA000051 against the Fair Work source.

Because port operations run continuously, the award pays shift loadings on top of the base rate for afternoon and night shifts, with the loading generally depending on the time the shift starts. These apply in addition to any weekend or public holiday penalties, so an overnight weekend shift can combine several elements. Map each shift's start time and day, then confirm the current loading for MA000051 from the Fair Work source rather than applying a single flat figure.

Overtime generally applies to hours worked beyond an employee's ordinary or rostered hours, or outside the agreed spread of hours, with the award setting different rates for the first hours and for hours after that, and separate treatment on weekends. Shift workers may have their own overtime arrangements. Identify which hours count as overtime for each worker and confirm the applicable overtime rate for this award on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Yes. Part-time employees work fewer than full-time hours on a reasonably predictable pattern, and the award requires the agreed hours and days to be set out in writing, with changes also agreed in writing. Part-timers receive pro-rata leave and the same minimum rates as full-timers for their classification. Check the part-time provisions in MA000051 for the full requirements before setting a part-time arrangement.

Continuous port operations often rely on staff being available outside their rostered hours, and awards of this kind commonly provide for on-call, standby or availability arrangements with their own payment. Whether and how this applies depends on the role and roster. Rather than assume, check the relevant provisions in MA000051 and confirm any on-call entitlement and rate on the Fair Work source before relying on it.

The award provides for allowances of the kind common in operational and trades environments, which may include first aid, an electrician's licence allowance, a tools allowance for tradespersons at Level 4 and above, motor vehicle reimbursement, and a protective clothing allowance. Because some are paid per shift or per occasion, they are easy to overlook. Identify which apply to each role and confirm the current amounts on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on past figures.

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 taking annual leave, while casuals do not accrue annual leave. Shift workers may have alternative arrangements where shift loadings would otherwise be higher. Apply the loading when processing leave and confirm the calculation against the Fair Work source.

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%. Apply the new rates from the correct pay period, not the calendar date, and verify the current figures for each classification and allowance on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Start by confirming each employee's correct classification, then apply the current minimum rate, the right shift, weekend and public holiday loadings, overtime tiers, any on-call arrangements and applicable allowances, refreshing every figure from the Fair Work Pay Calculator after each 1 July increase. Accurate shift and time records are essential on a continuous roster. Valont runs award-compliant payroll that maps rosters to the correct classifications, loadings and allowances so the right amount is paid every cycle.