Fair Work Commission confirms coal worker pay rise

This four-yearly review of the award had been in consideration since November 2020 when the Commission made two decisions relating to casual and overtime rates.

After amendments and variations were proposed through May and now September 2021 by the Commission, the award has now undergone a number of changes.

The proposed variations included a pay increase for full-time and part-time production and engineering employees.

For the first four hours of these workers’ shifts on a Saturday afternoon and rotating night shift, their pay will increase from 150 per cent of the minimum hourly rate to 165 per cent – while the rate after four hours moved from double time to 215 per cent.

Similar increases were implemented for Sunday afternoons, rotating nights and permanent weekend shifts.

The changes came about in response to submissions by a number of parties, including the CFMEU (Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union), Professionals Australia (formerly APESMA), Ai Group and a number of other unions.

“The Overtime for casuals decision (August 2020) determined that the casual loading was to be paid when overtime was worked and it should be calculated on a compounding (not cumulative) basis,” the CFEMU contended in May.

“The November 2020 decision did not consider how the casual rate and shift penalties should be calculated when applied together”.