Wages and Conditions


Wages and Conditions

How to find out what your pay and conditions should be

ASU membersAs an employee in the private sector in the State of Victoria your working conditions and rates of pay are determined by one of a number of possible "industrial instruments". 

These include federal awards which set minimum conditions for an industry or large organisation, or workplace agreements (EBAs) which are negotiated at a workplace level by unions and must offer better conditions that the industry award. The former government's Australian Workplace Agreements, which stripped crucial protections and allowances from Australian workers, are currently being phased out.

It can sometimes be confusing to work out which of these applies to you. This is especially the case since the Federal Government's new Fair Work Act swept away the Howard Government's WorkChoices and its attendant AWAs.

Members who are uncertain can contact our ASU ASSIST workplace advisors for advice after checking through the possibilities outlined on this page.

Federal Awards and New Modern Awards

Many people's working conditions are set by a federal award and often an workplace agreement (EBA) as well. A Federal Award will set out the minimum wages and conditions for your industry or organisation, and these conditions may be built upon in an EBA which outlines "above award" wages and conditions. EBAs are the result of union members uniting to bargain hard for conditions that are better than the minimum standard set out in the award.

On January 1, 2010, the Federal Government created 122 new modern awards from thousands of various state-based awards. Therefore, there are now new modern awards for ASU members working in call centres, legal, airlines, freight, the community sector, administration and finance. To find out the conditions of your modern award go to the new modern awards site. But remember: if you have negotiated a better workplace deal through an EBA, then your working conditions are determined by that EBA and the modern award for your sector does not apply to you. 


Workplace Agreements/Enterprise Bargaining Agreements

Workplace Agreements or EBAs are negotiated between a group of employees (usually, but not always, represented by their union) and an employer at a particular workplace.  In most cases an EBA is underpinned by the relevant federal award, and often it is necessary to refer to both documents in order to determine your conditions of employment. EBAs build upon the minimum conditions set out in the industry award.

 


Individual Agreements and Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs)

Everyone who works as an employee has a contract of employment with their employer, whether or not you have an actual piece of paper outlining your conditions. Individual employment contracts come in various forms and can be named different things like: agreements, employment contract, Australian Workplace Agreements.

Your employment contract:

  • Read it

  • Do not sign anything you do not understand

  • Get advice before signing

  • Get a copy

  • Do not agree to any changes without getting advice first.