AN160290 – Sheet Metal Workers' Award No. 10 of 1973

31. - SHIFT WORK

(1) The provisions of this clause apply to shift work whether continuous or otherwise.

(a) Shifts may be worked on construction work provided the employer has given the union notice of the intention to work shifts and the intended starting and finishing times of ordinary hours of the respective shifts.

(b) An employer may work the establishment on shifts on other than construction work but before doing so shall give notice of the intention to the union or unions concerned and of the intended starting and finishing times of ordinary working hours of the respective shifts.

(2) (a) Where any particular process is carried out on shifts other than day shift, and less than five consecutive afternoon or five consecutive night shifts are worked on that process, then employees employed on such afternoon or night shifts shall be paid at overtime rates.

Provided that where the ordinary hours of work normally worked in an establishment are worked on less than five days then the provision of paragraph (a) shall be as if that number of consecutive shifts were substituted for five consecutive shifts.

(b) The sequence of work shall not be deemed to be broken under the preceding paragraph by reason of the fact that work on the process is not carried out on a Saturday or Sunday or any other day that the employer observes a shut down for the purpose of allowing a 38 hour week or on any holiday.

(3) Where a shift commences at or after 11.00 p.m. on any day, the whole of that shift shall be deemed, for the purposes of this award, to have been worked on the following day.

(4) Where shift work is worked on construction work or by the contractor on commissioning tests for new plant -

(a) the first night shift in ordinary hours in any week shall not commence before Monday night; and

(b) the ordinary hours on each shift shall include crib time not exceeding twenty minutes which shall be taken in relays so as not to cause a stoppage of operations and at times convenient to the employer.

(5) (a) A shift worker engaged on construction work or on commissioning tests for new plant shall, in addition to his ordinary rate, be paid per shift of eight hours, a loading of twenty-five per cent for night shift.

(b) In any other case a shift worker when on afternoon or night shift shall be paid, for such shift fifteen per cent more than his ordinary rate prescribed by this award.

(c) All work performed on a rostered shift, when the major portion of such shift falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a holiday, shall be paid for as follows:

Saturday	-	at the rate of time and one half
Sunday	-	at the rate of time and three quarters
Holidays	-	at the rate of double time.

(d) These rates shall be paid in lieu of the shift allowances prescribed in this subclause.

(6) Where shifts are worked on construction work or on commissioning tests for new plant the day and night shifts may change weekly where there is agreement between the parties.

(7) A continuous shift employee who is not required to work on a holiday which falls on the employee's rostered day off shall be allowed a day's leave with pay to be added to annual leave or taken at some other time if the employee so agrees.