2. Definitions

[Varied by PR733854, PR774771, PR777289, PR792260, PR795682]

In this award, unless the contrary intention appears:

Act means the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

adult apprentice means an apprentice who is 21 years of age or over at the commencement of their apprenticeship.

cashier means an employee engaged to collect and/or process money or other payment tendered for retail sales of meat and/or meat products, and who is not a salesperson.

[Definition of casual employee inserted by PR733854 from 27Sep21; varied by PR777289 from 27Aug24]

casual employee has the meaning given by section 15A of the Act.

NOTE: Section 15A of the Act was amended with effect from 26 August 2024. Under clause 102(3) of Schedule 1 to the Act, an existing employee who was a casual employee of an employer under section 15A as it was immediately before that date is taken to be a casual employee of the employer for the purposes of section 15A after that date.

continuous service has the meaning in sections 22(1), (2) and (3) of the Act.

default fund employee means an employee who has no chosen fund within the meaning of the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth).

defined benefit member has the meaning given by the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth).

employee means national system employee within the meaning of the Act.

[Definition of employee organisation inserted by PR774771; substituted retrospectively by PR795682 ppc 01Jul24]

employee organisation has the meaning given by section 12 of the Act.

employer means national system employer within the meaning of the Act.

[Definition of enterprise inserted by PR774771 from 01Jul24]

enterprise has the meaning given by section 12 of the Act.

exempt public sector superannuation scheme has the meaning given by the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth).

fresh meat means meat that has not been cooked, pickled, cured or otherwise processed from the natural state, other than by chilling or freezing.

meat means cattle, calves, buffalo, horses, mules, donkeys, sheep, lambs, goats, pigs, camels, deer, kangaroos, emus, ostriches or marine reptiles, and any flesh or other organic products derived from any of them (excluding milk).

meat industry has the meaning given in clause 4.2.

meat manufacturing establishment has the meaning given in clause 4.2.

meat processing establishment has the meaning given in clause 4.2.

meat retail establishment has the meaning given in clause 4.2.

MySuper product has the meaning given by the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth).

NES means the National Employment Standards as contained in sections 59 to 131 of the Act.

on-hire means the on-hire of an employee by their employer to a client, where such employee works under the general guidance and instruction of the client or a representative of the client.

[Definition of regular casual employee inserted by PR733854 from 27Sep21]

regular casual employee has the meaning given by section 12 of the Act.

related company means a related company within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

relevant apprenticeship legislation means any awards and/or regulations made by any state apprenticeship authority.

rostered day off (RDO) means any continuous 24 hour period between the completion of the last ordinary shift and the commencement of the next ordinary shift on which an employee is rostered for duty.

[Definition of salesperson deleted by PR792260 ppc 14Oct25]

[Definition of small business employer inserted by PR774771 from 01Jul24]

small business employer has the meaning given by section 23 of the Act.

standard rate means the minimum weekly rate for a MI 7 in clause 16.1. Where an allowance is provided for on an hourly basis, a reference to standard rate means 1/38th of the weekly rate referred to in this definition.

[Definition of workplace delegate inserted by PR774771 from 01Jul24]

workplace delegate has the meaning given by section 350C(1) of the Act.

4. Coverage

[Varied by PR743432]

4.1 This industry award covers employers throughout Australia in the meat industry and their employees in the classifications listed in Schedule A—Classification Definitions to the exclusion of any other modern award.

4.2 The meat industry includes:

(a) meat manufacturing establishments—an establishment wholly or predominately concerned with the manufacturing or processing of fresh meat into any form of edible manufactured or processed meat, meat products, smallgoods, ham, bacon, or similar products in which meat is a substantial ingredient, including any related activities such as retail and/or wholesale sales, and killing, dressing, boning, slicing, preparation and/or packing of fresh meat, where such activities are conducted at any place as an ancillary part of the manufacturing or processing business;

(b) meat processing establishments—an establishment wholly or predominately concerned with any one or more of the activities of killing, dressing, boning, slicing, preparation, and/or packing of fresh meat and will include any related activities conducted at any place as an ancillary part of such business, such as manufacturing or processing of meat, the treatment and processing of skins or hides, rendering, processing of by-products and/or retail and/or wholesale sales;

(c) meat retail establishments—an establishment wholly or predominately concerned with the retail and/or wholesale sale of fresh meat and/or meat products, including establishments where meat and/or meat products including ham and smallgoods and similar products are processed and/or manufactured as an ancillary part of the retail and/or wholesale business; and

(d) the following:

(i) handling and further processing of all by-products of the establishments referred to in clauses 4.2(a), 4.2(b) or 4.2(c), including skins, hides and rendering; and

(ii) distribution, transport and storage (including freezing and cold storage) operations for the purpose of transport or storage of the meat or meat products of an establishment referred to in clauses 4.2(a), 4.2(b) or 4.2(c),

where such activities are carried out by an employer engaged in any of clauses 4.2(a), 4.2(b) or 4.2(c) as an ancillary part of the business of that establishment, or by an employer that is a related company of such employer.

4.3 This award does not cover:

(a) meat inspectors (being employees of an employer covered by this award who are engaged to perform duties equivalent to duties usually performed by AQIS Meat Inspectors) except to the extent provided for by clause 19—Relieving inspection duties;

[4.3(b) varied by PR743432 ppc 11Jul22]

(b) employees covered by:

(i) Nurses Award 2020;

(ii) General Retail Industry Award 2020; or

(iii) Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award 2020,

(c) employees engaged to undertake managerial duties and responsibilities (at the level of foreman and above);

(d) employers and employees engaged in the slaughter and/or processing of any species of poultry, game or game birds not specifically listed in clause 2—Definitions;

(e) storage, transport or distribution of meat or meat products or by-products by employers who are not engaged in, or who do not conduct or operate a meat processing establishment, a meat manufacturing establishment or a meat retail establishment, and are not a related company of an employer that is so engaged;

(f) employees engaged in mechanical and electrical maintenance classifications covered by the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020.

4.4 This award covers any employer which supplies labour on an on-hire basis in the meat industry in respect of on-hire employees in classifications covered by this award, and those on-hire employees, while engaged in the performance of work for a business in that industry. Clause 4.4 operates subject to the exclusions from coverage in this award.

4.5 This award covers employers which provide group training services for apprentices and/or trainees engaged in the meat industry and/or parts of that industry and those apprentices and/or trainees engaged by a group training service hosted by a company to perform work at a location where the activities described in clauses 4.1 and 4.2 are being performed. Clause 4.5 operates subject to the exclusions from coverage in this award.

4.6 This award does not cover:

(a) employees excluded from award coverage by the Act;

(b) employees who are covered by a modern enterprise award or an enterprise instrument (within the meaning of the Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2009 (Cth)), or employers in relation to those employees; or

(c) employees who are covered by a State reference public sector modern award or a State reference public sector transitional award (within the meaning of the Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2009 (Cth)), or employers in relation to those employees.

4.7 Where an employer is covered by more than one award, an employee of that employer is covered by the award classification which is most appropriate to the work performed by the employee and to the environment in which the employee normally performs the work.

NOTE: Where there is no classification for a particular employee in this award it is possible that the employer and that employee are covered by an award with occupational coverage.