The Seagoing Award covers parts of the maritime industry and sets minimum pay rates and conditions of employment.

This page covers the main entitlements under Seagoing Award. These can be different for employees on ships granted a temporary licence to engage in coastal trading.

On this page:

• Who the Seagoing Award covers
• Working out pay and conditions
• Ships that aren’t temporary licensed ships
• Temporary licensed ships
• Tools and resources
• Related information

Who the Seagoing Award covers

The Seagoing Award covers employers in the seagoing industry and their employees who fit within a classification in the award.

The ‘seagoing industry’ means the operation of vessels trading as cargo vessels, passenger vessels or operating as research vessels that go out to sea (on voyages outside the limits of bays, harbours or rivers).

We generally refer to these vessels as ‘ships’ on this page.

The Seagoing Award also covers labour hire employers who supply labour to businesses in the seagoing industry. It also covers their employees who perform work for such a business and fit within a classification in the award.

Learn more about who the Seagoing Award covers and doesn’t cover from our Seagoing Award summary. You can also check coverage in the award: Seagoing Award clauses 3, 4 and 14.

Working out pay and conditions

Different workplace entitlements and conditions apply to employees on ships granted a temporary licence to engage in coastal trading under the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012. These rules are set out in Schedule A of the Seagoing Award.

This page contains separate information about:

• ships that aren’t temporary licensed ships
• temporary licensed ships.

For more information about when a ship is a temporary licensed ship, go to Temporary licensed ships – Workplace laws and the maritime industry.

Ships that aren’t temporary licensed ships

Under the Seagoing Award, there are specific rules and entitlements for ships that aren’t temporary licensed ships.

Types of employees

The Seagoing Award has 2 types of employees:

• full-time employees
• relief employees.

Full-time employees

Full-time employeesAn employee engaged to work 38 hours per week (some awards and registered agreements may state more or less than 38 hours of work) on an ongoing basis and who receives benefits like paid leave and notice of termination. are engaged to work at least 38 ordinary hours per week, plus reasonable additional hours.

Relief employees

Relief employees are specifically engaged to relieve full-time employees. These employees receive the same entitlements as full-time employees on a pro-rata basisA proportionate amount of money or period of time. Part-time employees generally get pro-rata entitlements, based on the number of hours worked. .

Pay and wages

An employee’s minimum wage depends on their award classification. Learn how to work out award classifications in our Award classifications guide.

Pay rates for employees on ships other than a temporary licensed ship are found in Part 4 of the Seagoing Award.

Allowances

An allowance is an additional payment made to employees for:

• doing certain tasks
• working in certain locations or at particular times
• using a special skill, or
• incurring expenses for doing their job.

Employees working on a ship are eligible for several allowances. This includes allowances for:

• damage to personal effects and equipment
• accommodation
• meals
• conveyance
• disturbance of sleep
• handling cargo
• medical expenses.

This isn’t a full list. For a full list of allowances for employees on ships that aren’t temporary licensed ships, check clauses 16 and 17 of the Seagoing Award.

To check what might apply and the pay rates, use our Pay and Conditions Tool.

Hours of work

Under the Seagoing Award, the ordinary hours of work for operational and maintenance work are 8 hours per day, each day of the week. Ordinary hours are an employee’s normal and regular hours of work, which don’t attract overtime rates.

Employees may be required to work more than their ordinary hours to meet the requirements of the ship.

When in port, cargo duties or gear turns are worked in shifts of no more than 12 hours’ duration. This applies except where it’s impractical to do so due to crew shortages.

Rest periods

The Seagoing Award says an employer must comply with the requirements of Marine Order 28, except where the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has granted an exemption or certain overriding operational conditions exist.

Marine Order 28 states:

• the minimum hours of rest for a seafarer has to be 10 hours in any 24 hours and 77 hours in any 7 days
• a rest period can be split into 2 periods but one must be at least 6 hours
• the break between consecutive periods of rest must not go over 14 hours.

If an employee is required to travel overseas to join a ship, they must be given adequate rest before starting duties.

Meal breaks

Employees can’t be required to work for more than 6 hours without being allowed a meal break. Meal breaks are one hour and uninterrupted where practical.

Meal breaks must be provided during the following hours for employees (other than catering employees):

A Master or other officer may shorten or alter an employee’s meal break if they decide it’s necessary to meet the operational requirements of the ship.

Catering employees can take meal breaks within the above spread of hours where practical.

Temporary licensed ships

Parts of the Seagoing Award don’t apply to temporary licensed ships.

Entitlements and obligations that apply exclusively to temporary licensed ships are set out in Schedule A. Information on some of these is below.

Hours of work

For temporary licensed ships, an employee’s ordinary hours of work are 7.6 hours per day from Monday to Friday.

All hours worked outside an employee’s ordinary hours are paid at an overtime rate of 125% of the employee’s minimum rate of pay. This includes weekend work and work performed on public holidays.

Rest periods

Employees on temporary licensed ships are entitled to rest periods, which must be at least:

• 10 hours rest in any 24 hours
• 77 hours rest in any 7 days.

A rest period can be split into a maximum of 2 periods but one must be at least 6 hours.

The break between consecutive periods of rest must not go over 14 hours.

Leave

Employees on temporary licensed ships are entitled to payment of 8 days of leave for each completed month of service. This leave is pro-rataA proportionate amount of money or period of time. Part-time employees generally get pro-rata entitlements, based on the number of hours worked. for any shorter period.

Public holidays

Public holiday entitlements come from the National Employment Standards, which are the minimum entitlements provided to employees. Special rules and entitlements can apply to working (or not working) a public holiday. Learn more at Public holidays.

When a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following working day is treated as a public holiday for employees on temporary licensed ships.

Personal effects allowance

Employees on temporary licensed ships are entitled to an allowance if they sustain damage to or lose their personal effects or equipment because of:

• fire
• explosion
• foundering
• shipwreck
• collision, or
• stranding.

This is called the ‘personal effects allowance’. To calculate this allowance, use our Pay and Conditions Tool.

Tools and resources

• Seagoing Award
• Seagoing Award summary
• Pay and Conditions Tool
• Record My Hours app

Related information

• Maritime industry
• Workplace laws and the maritime industry
• Other help available for the maritime industry