55. Special conditions relating to shed employees

55.1 Mess and cook

(a) If a mess is established for found employees, not found employees may, with the approval of the employer, join the mess and provide their own food and related items (joint mess).

(b) The employer will, however, have the right to supply a sufficient quantity of food to start the mess, the food to be paid for by the persons comprising the mess.

55.2 Where there is a joint mess

(a) The employer must engage a competent cook for the mess on terms not less advantageous to the cook than those prescribed by this award.

(b) The employer may charge each not found employee the amount of their share of the wages actually payable to the cook. The amount charged must not exceed the rate per day per member of the mess prescribed in this award.

(c) If an employer elects to supply food and like items, the employer may deduct the price of the items from the wages of those supplied with the items.

(d) If the employer discharges a not found member of the mess who does not have sufficient credit to satisfy what that employee owes to the mess account, the employer will make up the deficiency, except so far as the employee’s share of the mess account has been increased by goods purchased elsewhere than from the employer.

55.3 Condition of sheep

The employee may refuse to shear sheep without any responsibility for delay in the following circumstances:

(a) Wet sheep

(i) if the overseer and the shed representative agree that the sheep are too wet to shear or crutch; or

(ii) if in the employee’s honest opinion, the sheep are so wet as to be likely to injure the employee, and the employee informs the overseer to that effect; or

(iii) if in the honest opinion of a majority of Shearers (or Crutchers) excluding any learner by vote on a secret ballot it is determined that the sheep are too wet to shear or crutch.

(iv) The supervisor may request that the vote be delayed until after the Shearers (or Crutchers) have shorn (or crutched) 2 sheep each and that the ballot papers have been counted in the presence of the supervisor. The supervisor may request that further votes be taken in relation to sheep which have been voted wet in the same day.

(b) Infected sheep

(i) The employee may refuse to shear (or crutch) sheep where the sheep are:

 cancerous;

 suffering from scabby mouth;

 suffering from any wound or sore other than maggots;

 suffering from a disease communicable to the employee; or

 affected by prickly pear, unless the employer provides the employee with such basil or other gloves and coverings as are necessary.

(ii) The employee will put any affected sheep appearing on the board down the chute.

55.4 Conditions of sheep—employer requirements

(a) The employer will so far as is practicable and reasonable in the particular circumstances prevent from entering the shed:

(i) any cancerous sheep;

(ii) any sheep that has an offensive wound or sore, other than from maggots (unless properly treated with antiseptic);

(iii) any sheep suffering from scabby mouth;

(iv) any sheep suffering from any disease communicable to the employee.

(b) The employer need not pen sheep for shearing (or crutching) which in the honest opinion of the employer should not be shorn or crutched because they are too wet to be shorn (or crutched), without responsibility for any delay.

(c) The employer may also withdraw sheep which have been penned for shearing (or crutching) when, in the employer’s honest opinion, the wool is too wet for pressing, without responsibility for any delay.

55.5 Transport to be provided in certain circumstances

(a) If the employees sleep at the employer’s premises and the shearing shed is one kilometre or more walking distance from the employee’s sleeping quarters, the employer must provide transport for the employees between the shed and sleep quarters before the start of the day’s work and at the end of the day’s work.

(b) In all cases where the shearing shed is half a kilometre or more walking distance from the employees’ huts, the employer must provide transport from the shed to the huts and from the huts to the shed for the midday meal.

55.6 Combs, cutters and handpiece

(a) It will be the responsibility of the employee to provide themselves with combs and cutters and a suitable handpiece.

(b) If a Shearer chooses to use a handpiece supplied by the employer or a contractor, the employer or contractor may make a charge to the Shearer for the use of the handpiece equivalent to the amount the Shearer is reimbursed for the handpiece through the shearing formula (see clause A.1).

(c) Where combs or cutters are damaged or broken during shearing operations due to contact with tags or foreign matter, the employer will replace or provide compensation for such combs and cutters on a fair wear and tear basis.

55.7 Allotment of stands

(a) The employer may nominate the stand or stands to be occupied by learners.

(b) Subject to clause 55.7(a) lots will be drawn for the stands in the presence of the overseer before work is commenced at a shearing or crutching, and the employees will abide by the result of the drawing.

55.8 Provision of sheep

(a) The total number of sheep to be shorn (or crutched) at the shearing (or crutching) will not be more than the maximum number agreed upon nor less than the minimum number agreed upon nor will the number of Shearers employed exceed the number agreed upon.

(b) Subject to other conditions in the award concerning the provision of sheep, the employer will be ready to commence shearing (or crutching) on the date appointed and will keep the Shearers (or Crutchers) fully supplied with sheep until the completion of the shearing (or crutching).

(c) The employer, however, will not be bound to furnish the agreed minimum number of sheep or to be ready or to keep the employee fully supplied if prevented by any cause unavoidable by them. The employer will inform the employee, as soon as is reasonably possible, whether, and to what extent, the employee will be or is likely to be so prevented.

(d) When the employer is a contractor shearing or crutching sheep under contract with an owner or the owner’s agent, the failure of the owner or agent to keep the contractor supplied with sheep for shearing (or crutching) will not be deemed to be a cause unavoidable by the contractor unless the owner or agent is prevented from supplying sheep because of any unavoidable cause.

55.9 Yarding sheep for shearing

(a) At shearing operations the employer will, unless prevented by any cause unavoidable by the employer, yard the sheep for shearing at least 4 hours before the time of their being shorn so as to overcome any fullness or sweat in the sheep and the employee will shear the sheep without delay.

(b) Clause 55.9 will not apply in the case of:

(i) ewes within 2 months of lambing;

(ii) ewes with lambs up to 3 months old; or

(iii) sheep which have previously been yarded for shearing but have been turned out because they are too wet to shear.

55.10 Posting of tallies

Each day, the employer will make available to each employee the employee’s tally or bale weight for each run worked in a day.

Schedule A—Shearing Operations—Methods for calculating Minimum Rates

[Varied by PR729290, PR729479, PR740716, PR740884, PR762145, PR762308, PR773920, PR774088, PR786573, PR786739, PR799316, PR799473]

A.1 Rates for Shearers—if not found employee

A.1.1 Rates for flock sheep (wethers, ewes and lambs)

[A.1.1 varied by PR729290, PR729479, PR740716, PR740884, PR762145, PR762308, PR773920 ppc 01Jul24, PR774088, PR786573, PR786739, PR799316, PR799473 ppc 01Jul26]

The minimum rate for Shearers shearing 100 flock sheep (if not found employee) is arrived at by the following formula:

Shearer’s formula | $

Minimum rate | 1057.23

Plus 20% piecework allowance—min rate x 20% | 211.45

Plus 25% casual loading—min rate x 25% | 264.31

Subtotal | 1532.99

Plus shearing industry allowance1 | 287.77

Plus rations1 | 79.78

Plus allowance for combs/cutters1 | 121.75

Plus payment for handpiece1 | 27.52

Weekly total for casual piecework Shearer with own handpiece (500 sheep) | 2049.81

Rate per 100 conversion—total divided by 5 | 409.96

1 The industry allowance, rations, combs/cutters and handpiece components are expense-related allowances adjusted in accordance with clause C.2.

[A.1.2 varied by PR729290, PR740716, PR762145, PR773920, PR786573, PR799316 ppc 01Jul26]

A.1.2 ‘If found’ rates are calculated by deducting $42.05 from the ‘not found’ rate. This amount is arrived at by adding the Shearing cook’s daily rate to one fifth of the Shearers’ ration component. The Shearing cook’s daily rate is calculated in accordance with clause A.5.

A.1.3 Engagement by the day

The per day rate for ‘not found’ employees is calculated by multiplying the old ‘not found' employee daily rate by the Shearers rate per 100 divided by the old Shearers rate per 100.

A.2 Crutching formula

The rates in clause 51.3(a) are arrived at by the formula in clause A.2.

Full crutching at sheds | 29% of Shearers per 100 rate

All other crutching at sheds | 23% of Shearers per 100 rate

Full crutching other than at sheds | 25% of Shearers per 100 rate

All other crutching other than at sheds | 20% of Shearers per 100 rate

Wigging or ringing | 11% of Shearers per 100 rate

Wigging or ringing in addition to crutching | 3% of Shearers per 100 rate

Wigging and ringing | 18% of Shearers per 100 rate

Wigging and ringing in addition to crutching | 5% of Shearers per 100 rate

Cleaning bellies etc. | 2.5% of Shearers per 100 rate

A.3 Shed hands formula

A.3.1 Shed hands (adult) formula

[A.3.1 varied by PR729290, PR729479, PR740716, PR740884, PR762145, PR762308, PR773920 ppc 01Jul24, PR774088, PR786573, PR786739, PR799316, PR799473, ppc 01Jul26]

These amounts are arrived at by using the following formula:

| $

With less than 65 work days' experience in the industry |

Minimum rate—which is 84.56% of Shearer's minimum rate | 893.99

Plus 25% casual loading—new minimum wage rate x 25% | 223.50

Plus shearing industry allowance1 | 287.77

Plus rations1 | 79.78

Total | 1485.04

Per run—divide by 20 | 74.25

With 65 or more work days' experience in the industry |

Minimum rate which is 90.44% of Shearer's minimum rate | 956.16

Plus 25% casual loading—new minimum wage rate x 25% | 239.04

Plus shearing industry allowance1 | 287.77

Plus rations1 | 79.78

Total | 1562.75

Per run—divide by 20 | 78.14

1 The industry allowance and rations components are expense-related allowances adjusted in accordance with clause C.2.

A.3.2 Shed hands (junior) formula

[A.3.2 varied by PR729290, PR740716, PR762145, PR773920, PR786573, PR799316 ppc 01Jul26]

| $ per run

Under 18 years |

With less than 65 work days' experience as a shed hand |

70% of equivalent adult rate | 51.98

With 65 or more work days' experience as a shed hand |

70% of equivalent adult rate | 54.70

18–20 years |

With less than 65 work days' experience as a shed hand |

90% of equivalent adult rate | 66.83

With 65 or more work days' experience as a shed hand |

90% of equivalent adult rate | 70.33

A.4 Woolpresser’s formula

[A.4 varied by PR729290, PR729479, PR740716, PR740884, PR762145, PR762308, PR773920 ppc 01Jul24, PR774088, PR786573, PR786739, PR799316, PR799473 ppc 01Jul26]

These minimum rates for Woolpressers—if not found are arrived at using the following formula:

| Piecework | Time work

| $ | $

Minimum rate | 954.69 | 1030.23

Plus 20% piecework allowance—min rate x 20% | 190.94 |

Plus 25% casual loading—min rate x 25% | 238.67 | 257.56

Subtotal | 1384.30 |

Plus shearing industry allowance1 | 287.77 | 287.77

Plus rations1 | 79.78 | 79.78

Total per week | 1751.85 | 1655.34

Per run—total divided by 20 | | 82.77

By hand—per bale = total divided by 70 | 25.03 |

By hand—per kilo = by hand per bale rate divided by 152.4 | 0.1642 |

By power—per bale = by hand per bale rate x 2/3 | 16.69 |

By power—per kilo = by power per bale rate divided by 152.4 | 0.1095 |

1 The industry allowance and rations components are expense-related allowances adjusted in accordance with clause C.2.

A.5 Shearing cook’s formula

[A.5 varied by PR729290, PR729479, PR740716, PR740884, PR762145, PR762308, PR773920 ppc 01Jul24, PR774088, PR786573, PR786739, PR799316, PR799473 ppc 01Jul26]

The minimum rates for Shearing cooks are arrived at by the following formula:

Shearing cook’s formula | $

Minimum rate | 1031.64

Plus 25% casual loading—min rate x 25% | 257.91

Plus 20% long hours allowance—min rate x 20% | 206.33

Plus 69.58% of shearing industry allowance1 | 200.23

Total | 1696.11

Daily rate—total divided by 5 | 339.22

Per employee per day rate = daily rate divided by 13 | 26.09

1 The industry allowance component is an expense-related allowance adjusted in accordance with clause C.2.

A.6 Woolclassers formula

A.6.1 Woolclasser level 1 formula

[A.6.1 varied by PR729290, PR740716, PR762145, PR773920, PR786573, PR799316 ppc 01Jul26]

The Woolclasser level 1 minimum weekly rate is arrived at according the following formula:

| $

Base | 1105.64

Plus casual loading of 25% (of base) | 276.41

Subtotal | 1382.05

Plus conditions allowance1 | 159.25

Plus enterprise flexibility (including hours) and wet weather allowance1 | 225.74

Total | 1767.04

Rounded to the nearest 5 cents | 1767.05

1 The conditions, enterprise flexibility and wet weather components are wage-related allowances calculated in accordance with clause C.1.

A.6.2 Woolclasser level 2 formula

[A.6.2 varied by PR729290, PR740716, PR762145, PR773920, PR786573, PR799316 ppc 01Jul26]

The Woolclasser level 2 minimum weekly rate is arrived at according to the following formula:

| $

Base | 1105.64

Woolrolling and other shed hands work | 112.85

Subtotal 1 | 1218.49

Plus casual loading of 25% (of subtotal 1) | 304.62

Subtotal 2 | 1523.11

Plus conditions allowance1 | 159.25

Plus enterprise flexibility (including hours) and wet weather allowance1 | 225.74

Total | 1908.10

Rounded to the nearest 5 cents | 1908.10

1 The conditions, enterprise flexibility and wet weather components are wage-related allowances calculated in accordance with clause C.1.

A.6.3 Woolclasser level 3 formula

[A.6.3 varied by PR729290, PR740716, PR762145, PR773920, PR786573, PR799316 ppc 01Jul26]

The Woolclasser level 3 minimum weekly rate is arrived at according to the following formula:

| $

Base | 1105.64

Woolrolling and other shed hands work | 112.85

Bookkeeping, overseeing, experting1 | 73.37

Subtotal 1 | 1291.86

Plus casual loading of 25% (of subtotal 1) | 322.97

Subtotal 2 | 1614.83

Plus conditions allowance1 | 159.25

Plus enterprise flexibility (including hours) and wet weather allowance1 | 225.74

Total | 1999.82

Rounded to the nearest 5 cents | 1999.80

1 The booking keeping, conditions, enterprise flexibility and wet weather components are wage-related allowances calculated in accordance with clause C.1.