THE COMMISSION HAS ANNOUNCED A 1.75% INCREASE TO MINIMUM WAGES
Published 19 June 2020 | Updated 1 February 2021
Minimum wages in the third and final group of awards increase from 1 February. The ATO updated their Pay guides and Pay Calculator with the new rates. Go to:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay/minimum-wages/pay-guides
The third group of awards covers the retail, accommodation, and food services industries, as well as a range of other industries. For a complete list of awards in this group, see Group 3.
The Fair Work Commission has announced a 1.75% increase to minimum wages. This will apply to all award wages.
Increases to awards will start on 3 different dates for different groups of awards. See When will my award increase for details about when the new minimum wages in your award start. Go to:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/news-and-media-releases/website-news/the-commission-has-announced-a-1-75-increase-to-minimum-wages#when-will-my-award-increase
Most employees are covered by an award. If you are not sure which award applies, use Find my award. Go to:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/awards-and-agreements/awards/find-my-award/
For anyone not covered by an award or an agreement, the new National Minimum Wage is $753.80 per week or $19.84 per hour. This applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2020.
You can read the detailed decision external-icon.png on the Fair Work Commission’s website.
What do you need to do?
Use the Pay guides and Pay Calculator to find the new rates for all Group 3 awards.
See Group 3 for a complete list of awards affected.
Who does the increase apply to?
The increase only applies to employees that get their pay rates from:
- the National Minimum Wage
- an award, or
- a registered agreement (in some cases).
Remember, the 1.75% increase applies to the awards in 3 stages. See When will my award increase for information on when the awards will increase.
If you are covered by a registered agreement, you should check it to see if this increase affects you.
The increase does not affect employees who already get paid more than their new minimum wage.
Interaction with the JobKeeper payment
The new minimum wages also apply to any work an employee performs while they are in the JobKeeper scheme if they get their pay rate from an award or the National Minimum Wage. See JobKeeper and the Annual Wage Review 2020 on their JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme page for more information. Go to:
https://coronavirus.fairwork.gov.au/coronavirus-and-australian-workplace-laws/pay-and-leave-during-coronavirus/jobkeeper-wage-subsidy-scheme/default
Group 1 Awards – from 1 July 2020 |
| Frontline Heath Care & Social Assistance Workers |
| Teachers and Child Care |
| Other Essential Services |
Group 2 Awards – from 1 November 2020 |
| Construction |
| Manufacturing |
| A range of other industries |
Group 3 Awards – from 1 February 2021 |
| Accommodation and Food Services |
| Arts and Recreation Services |
| Aviation |
| Retail |
| Tourism |
See below for a complete list of awards in each group:
Group 1 |
||
| The new minimum wages will start in the following awards from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2020. | ||
| Water Industry Award | Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services Award | Aged Care Award |
| Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award | Banking, Finance and Insurance Award | Cemetery Industry Award |
| Children’s Services Award | Cleaning Services Award | Corrections and Detention (Private Sector) Award |
| Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award | Educational Services (Teachers) Award | Electrical Power Industry Award |
| Fire Fighting Industry Award | Funeral Industry Award | Gas Industry Award |
| Health Professionals and Support Services Award | Medical Practitioners Award | Nurses Award |
| Pharmacy Industry Award | Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award | State Government Agencies Award |
Group 2 |
|||
| The new minimum wages will start in the following awards from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 November 2020. | Aluminium Industry Award | ||
| Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award | Aquaculture Industry Award | Architects Award | Asphalt Industry Award |
| Black Coal Mining Industry Award | Book Industry Award | Broadcasting, Recorded Entertainment and Cinemas Award | Building and Construction General On-site Award |
| Business Equipment Award | Car Parking Award | Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award | Clerks – Private Sector Award |
| Coal Export Terminals Award | Concrete Products Award | Contract Call Centres Award | Cotton Ginning Award |
| Dredging Industry Award | Educational Services (Post-Secondary Education) Award | Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award | Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award |
| Gardening and Landscaping Services Award | Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award | Higher Education Industry-Academic Staff-Award | Higher Education Industry-General Staff-Award |
| Horticulture Award | Hydrocarbons Field Geologists Award | Hydrocarbons Industry (Upstream) Award | Joinery and Building Trades Award |
| Journalists Published Media Award | Labour Market Assistance Industry Award | Legal Services Award | Local Government Industry Award |
| Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award | Marine Towage Award | Maritime Offshore Oil and Gas Award | Market and Social Research Award |
| Meat Industry Award | Mining Industry Award | Miscellaneous Award | Mobile Crane Hiring Award |
| Oil Refining and Manufacturing Award | Passenger Vehicle Transportation Award | Pastoral Award | Pest Control Industry Award |
| Pharmaceutical Industry Award | Plumbing and Fire Sprinklers Award | Port Authorities Award | Ports, Harbours and Enclosed Water Vessels Award |
| Poultry Processing Award | Premixed Concrete Award | Professional Diving Industry (Industrial) Award | Professional Employees Award |
| Rail Industry Award | Real Estate Industry Award | Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award | Road Transport and Distribution Award |
| Salt Industry Award | Seafood Processing Award | Seagoing Industry Award | Security Services Award |
| Silviculture Award | Stevedoring Industry Award | Storage Services and Wholesale Award | Sugar Industry Award |
| Supported Employment Services Award | Surveying Award | Telecommunications Services Award | Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries Award |
| Timber Industry Award | Transport (Cash in Transit) Award | Waste Management Award | Wool Storage, Sampling and Testing Award |
Group 3 |
|||
| The new minimum wages will start in the following awards from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 February 2021. | |||
| Air Pilots Award | Aircraft Cabin Crew Award | Airline Operations-Ground Staff Award | Airport Employees Award |
| Alpine Resorts Award | Amusement, Events and Recreation Award | Commercial Sales Award | Dry Cleaning and Laundry Industry Award |
| Fast Food Industry Award | Fitness Industry Award | General Retail Industry Award | Hair and Beauty Industry Award |
| Horse and Greyhound Training Award | Hospitality Industry (General) Award | Live Performance Award | Mannequins and Models Award |
| Nursery Award | Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award | ||
| Registered and Licensed Clubs Award | Restaurant Industry Award | Racing Clubs Events Award | Racing Industry Ground Maintenance Award |
| Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award | Wine Industry Award | Sporting Organisations Award | Travelling Shows Award |