Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award

If you operate vessels such as tugs, ferries, barges or harbour craft in ports, harbours or enclosed or smooth waters in Australia and engage crew or operational staff who are not award-free, the Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award 2020 (MA000052) generally applies. Seagoing work and port authority shore roles fall under separate awards. Confirm coverage for your vessels and roles against the Fair Work source before setting pay and conditions.

The award grades crew by role and qualifications, such as master, engineer, deckhand and general-purpose or integrated crew, according to the vessel and the responsibility of the position. Classify each crew member by the role they perform and the certificates they hold, not just their title. Once you have the correct classification, look up its current minimum rate on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before setting pay.

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 marine operations the loading can interact with roster, shift and weekend arrangements, so treat 25% as a guide only. Confirm the exact current casual loading, and how it applies to crew, 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 and roster arrangements for vessel crew. The figures MA000052 actually sets depend on the circumstances 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. Crew 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, so verify the current public holiday entitlement for MA000052 against the Fair Work source.

Overtime generally applies to hours worked beyond an employee's ordinary or rostered hours, or outside the agreed arrangement, with the award setting different rates for the first hours and for hours after that, and separate treatment on weekends. Watch and roster systems may shape how ordinary hours and overtime are counted. Identify which hours count as overtime for each crew member and confirm the applicable 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. Given roster-based marine work, set the agreed pattern carefully and check the part-time provisions in MA000052 for the full requirements.

Marine operations can involve watchkeeping, on-call availability and periods away from home base, and awards of this kind commonly provide for these with their own payments or allowances. Whether and how they apply depends on the vessel and roster. Rather than assume, check the relevant provisions in MA000052 and confirm any such entitlement and rate on the Fair Work source before relying on it.

The award provides for allowances relevant to vessel operations, which may include leading hand or in-charge, first aid, meal allowances for qualifying overtime, and allowances tied to particular conditions or duties. Some are paid per shift, per occasion or per day, so they are easy to miss. 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. Crew working shift or roster systems may have alternative arrangements where 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 crew 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.

Broadly, the Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award covers the crewing and operation of vessels in ports, harbours and enclosed waters, while the Port Authorities Award covers shore-based port authority operations and staff. Some operations could touch both, and other maritime or stevedoring awards may apply to particular work. Check which award genuinely covers each role against the Fair Work source rather than assuming, and confirm the rates accordingly.

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