The Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission has today issued its decision in the Junior rates application (AM2024/24).
On 6 June 2024, the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA) applied to change junior rates, seeking to increase rates of pay for employees aged 20 years old and under in the following 3 awards:
- Fast Food Industry Award 2020
- General Retail Industry Award 2020
- Pharmacy Industry Award 2020
The Full Bench has decided that:
- after 6 months' experience, the rates payable to adult junior employees will be set at a rate of 100% of the full adult rate of pay
- the current percentage rates for adult junior employees with less than 6 months' experience with their current employer will stay the same
- there will be no change to junior rates for persons aged under 18.
Next steps
The Full Bench will hear from the parties further on the timing and transitional arrangements. Their provisional view is that the changes will be phased in over time starting from 1 December 2026, with the final changes to happen from 1 July 2029.
Directions will be issued to provide a further opportunity to be heard in relation to the implementation of the Full Bench's decision.
Read:
- Decision [2026] FWCFB 74 (pdf)
- Summary of decision [2026] FWCFB 75 (pdf)
- Junior rates application (AM2024/24)
