Seafood Processing Award

If you operate in the seafood processing industry in Australia - receiving, grading, filleting, packing, freezing or storing landed seafood - and employ staff who are not otherwise award-free, the Seafood Processing Award 2020 (MA000068) generally applies. It covers processing plants, receival depots and seafood cold stores. The catching of seafood at sea, and functions such as transport or clerical work, may fall under other awards, so confirm coverage for each role against the Fair Work source.

MA000068 sets minimum rates against classification levels defined by the skills, training and responsibilities of each role, from basic receival and packing up to skilled processing, machine operation and supervision. You assign each employee to the level matching the duties they actually perform, then pay at least that level's minimum rate. Title alone is not enough; assess the real work. Look up the current rate for the classification on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Casual employees are paid an hourly rate plus a casual loading, in place of paid leave and other permanent entitlements. Across modern awards this loading is commonly 25%, but treat that as a guide only. Confirm the exact figure MA000068 sets, along with any minimum engagement and the casual conversion pathway, against the Fair Work source before running pay, particularly where you rely on casuals to handle variable catches.

Ordinary hours worked on Saturdays and Sundays attract weekend penalties on top of the minimum rate. As a general guide across awards, Saturday loadings commonly run around 25% and Sunday around 50%, and they can combine with shift or cold work loadings. The seafood processing award sets its own figures, so confirm the current Saturday and Sunday rates for the relevant shift and employment type on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing pay.

Work on a public holiday is paid at a premium under MA000068, and as a guide public holiday rates across awards can reach up to 150% of the ordinary rate. Employees who would normally work that day but do not because it is a public holiday are generally entitled to their ordinary pay. Since a landed catch may need processing regardless of the date, confirm the current public holiday entitlement for each shift type against the Fair Work source.

Overtime applies when an employee works beyond the ordinary hours set by the award - exceeding daily or weekly limits, or working outside the agreed spread of hours - which happens often when catches land late. Overtime rates step up after the first couple of hours, with higher rates on Sundays and public holidays, and call-back provisions may apply. Confirm the exact overtime multipliers for your situation 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 recorded in writing, with changes also agreed in writing. Part-timers receive pro-rata leave and the same minimum classification rates as full-timers. Review the part-time provisions in MA000068 before setting a roster, especially if processing volumes vary week to week.

Where the seafood processing award provides for junior employees or apprentices, they are paid on a percentage scale set against the relevant adult classification rate, with the percentage rising as a junior ages or an apprentice progresses. Because the adult rate underneath changes with the annual review, the dollar figure for a junior or apprentice also changes. Confirm both the percentage and the resulting rate on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

The award provides for industry allowances that can include a cold work or freezer allowance for low-temperature processing and storage, a first aid allowance, and meal allowances for qualifying overtime. Some are paid per shift or per occasion and are easy to miss on a busy line. Identify which apply to each role and confirm the current amounts on the Fair Work Pay Calculator, as they change with the annual review.

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 ordinary rate. 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%. You must apply the new rates from that pay period, not the calendar date, so verify the current figures for each classification and allowance on the Fair Work Pay Calculator each year.

The seafood processing award can provide an allowance for work performed in cold or freezer conditions, recognising the demands of low-temperature processing and storage. Whether it applies depends on the temperature and nature of the work, and it can sit alongside overtime and weekend penalties. Check the award's allowance provisions to see if cold work applies to your roles, and confirm the current amount on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Start by confirming each employee's correct classification, then apply the current minimum rate, the right weekend, public holiday and shift penalties, and any allowances such as cold work, refreshing every figure from the Fair Work Pay Calculator after each 1 July increase. Accurate records of variable shifts and overtime are essential. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for employers like seafood processors, mapping rosters to the correct classifications, penalties and allowances so the right amount is paid every cycle.