Premixed Concrete Award

If your business batches, mixes and delivers ready-mixed concrete from a plant in Australia and you employ staff who are not otherwise award-free, the Premixed Concrete Award 2020 (MA000057) generally applies. It covers plant operators, yard hands, maintenance staff and the agitator and truck-mixer drivers who deliver to site. Concrete products made off site, quarrying and general road transport sit under other awards, so confirm coverage against the Fair Work source before setting pay.

Match each employee to the classification level that reflects the work they actually do - the plant they operate, the capacity of the truck they drive, and their responsibilities - using the definitions in the award's classification schedule. A batch plant operator, a yard hand and a large-agitator driver will usually sit at different levels. Once you have the correct level, read its current minimum rate from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Casual employees in the premixed concrete industry are paid the minimum rate for their classification plus a casual loading, commonly 25% across modern awards, in place of paid leave and other permanent entitlements. The loading can interact with weekend and public holiday penalties. Treat 25% as a guide only and confirm the exact casual loading, and how it combines with penalties, against the Fair Work source before running pay.

Saturday and Sunday work attracts weekend penalties on top of the ordinary rate. As a general guide across awards, Saturday is commonly around 25% and Sunday around 50%, but MA000057 sets its own figures for the relevant engagement and these can combine with overtime on a long weekend pour. Always confirm the current Saturday and Sunday rates for your employee type on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing pay.

Work performed on a public holiday is paid at a significant premium under the award, which as a guide can reach up to 150% of the minimum rate, and a minimum engagement may apply if a driver or plant operator is called in. Staff who would normally work the day but do not because it is a public holiday are generally entitled to their ordinary pay. Confirm the current public holiday entitlement against the Fair Work source.

Overtime applies when an employee works beyond the ordinary hours the award sets, such as exceeding the daily or weekly limit or working outside the spread of ordinary hours - common when early starts and late site finishes stretch a delivery day. Overtime rates step up after the first couple of hours and are higher on Sundays. For the exact current multipliers, check the overtime provisions and the Fair Work source.

Yes. Part-time employees work fewer than full-time hours on a reasonably predictable pattern, and the award requires a written agreement recording the agreed hours, days and start and finish times. Any changes should also be 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 the award for the full requirements before engaging staff this way.

MA000057 does not set junior or apprentice rates: it provides adult minimum rates only, across Levels 1 to 5, regardless of the employee's age. Where you engage a trainee, the relevant training arrangements and rates sit under the Miscellaneous Award 2020 rather than this award. So rather than applying a percentage scale, place each employee on the correct adult level and confirm the resulting rate against the Fair Work Pay Calculator each year.

Because the work combines fixed-plant operation with on-road delivery, the award provides for allowances that can include leading hand, first aid, meal for qualifying overtime, and travelling, fares or industry allowances connected to driving and plant duties. Some are paid per shift or per occasion, 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 remembered figures.

Yes. Annual leave loading is an extra payment on top of base pay when an employee takes paid annual leave, and under this award it is 17.5% of the minimum rate of pay. It applies to full-time and part-time employees taking annual leave; casuals do not accrue annual leave. Apply the loading when processing leave payments 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%. To stay compliant you must apply the new rates from that pay period, not the calendar date, so verify the current figures for each classification on the Fair Work Pay Calculator every year.

Time a driver spends queuing to load, waiting on a pour or held up because a site is not ready is still working time under the award. Depending on when it falls in the day or week, it may be ordinary time, overtime or attract a penalty. Some delays may also engage specific allowances. Record all such time accurately, treat it as paid, and confirm how it should be paid against the Fair Work source.

Start by confirming each employee's correct classification - plant operator, yard hand, maintenance or the right driver level - then apply the current minimum rate, the correct penalties for weekend and after-hours pours, overtime on long delivery days, and any applicable allowances, refreshing every figure from the Fair Work Pay Calculator after each 1 July increase. Keeping accurate time records, including waiting time, is essential. Valont's award-compliant payroll service handles this classification, rate and penalty mapping for premixed concrete employers so the right amount is paid every cycle.