Updates to award provisions - February 2026
The provisions in the state Manufacturing, Maintenance and Metal Trades Award have been updated by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission, with the changes effective from 18 February 2026.
The changes update a number of miscellaneous provisions to improve clarity and make it easier for employers and employees to understand and comply with the WA award.
These changes include:
- ensuring the award does not contain conditions of employment that are less favourable than those in the Minimum Condition of Employment Act 1993;
- removal of inconsistencies with state employment laws and those provisions of the national Fair Work Act 2009 which apply to state system employers and employees;
- modernising of allowance provisions so that most allowances become self-updating; and
- removing outdated provisions for junior employees.
The updated Wageline WA award summary is now available.
Updates to award coverage - October 2025
Employers and employees previously covered by six state awards in the metal, engineering and fabrication industries have been covered under the new Manufacturing, Maintenance and Metal Trades Award since
23 October 2025.
The new WA award is based on the previous Metal Trades (General) Award. The award’s scope was expanded and changes to some provisions were made to incorporate employees previously covered by the following state awards:
- Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry (Construction and Servicing) Award;
- Gate, Fence and Frames Manufacturing Award;
- Sheet Metal Workers Award;
- Thermal Insulation Contracting Industry Award; and
- Vehicle Builders Award.
These changes include:
- expanding the classification structure to incorporate fabricators, sheet metal workers and panel beaters;
- clarifying the way junior rates of pay are expressed to reflect the minimum conditions of employment;
- increasing of some allowances; and
- additional redundancy provisions for some employees.
The WA award summaries for the previous Metal Trades (General) Award, Sheet Metal Workers Award and Vehicle Builders Award outline the pay rates and entitlements under these three awards that applied until 22 October 2025. Wageline did not have award summaries for the other three awards.
The Manufacturing, Maintenance and Metal Trades Award does not apply to:
- employers and employees in the national industrial relations system; or
- employees in the electrical contracting industry who are covered by the Electrical Contracting Industry Award.
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