Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions) Act 1968

Administered by Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Legislation au C1968A00146 Not in force Act

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Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions)

No. 146 of 1968

An Act to amend the Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions) Act 1967.

[Assented to 9 December 1968]

BE it enacted by the Queens Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions) Act 1968.

(2.) The Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions) Act 1967 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions) Act 1967–1968.


Commencement.

2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Definitions.

3. Section 5 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by inserting before the definition of the Fund the following definitions:—

“‘annual leave, in relation to a waterside worker, mean* annual leave to which the waterside worker has become entitled under an award of the Commission;

casual employment, in relation to a waterside worker, means employment of the waterside worker as a waterside worker otherwise than on a weekly hiring;

class A waterside worker has the same meaning as in the Stevedoring Industry Charge Assessment Act 1947–1967;

special agreement for weekly hiring, in relation to waterside workers, means a special agreement between the employer of the waterside workers and the Waterside Workers Federation of Australia with respect to the employment, on a weekly hiring, of the waterside workers in respect of particular ships at particular terminals or wharves, being an agreement that—

(a) was entered into before the operative date; or

(b) was entered into on or after the operative date and was, in the opinion of the Minister, intended by the parties to it to take the place of an agreement that was entered into before the operative date;

the Association means The Association of Employers of Waterside Labour, an association registered as an organization under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904–1968;; and

(b) by inserting after the definition of the holding company the following definition:—

“‘the operative date means the twenty-seventh day of November, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven;.

4. Section 7 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following sections are inserted in its stead:—

Payments by the Authority to the holding company.

7. Subject to any direction of the Minister, the Authority may make payments to the holding company for the purpose of meeting the cost to the holding company of—

(a) wages paid, on or after the operative date, to a registered regular waterside worker at a permanent port (other than a waterside worker employed in accordance with a special agreement for weekly hiring) in respect of shifts during which the waterside worker was available for work but was not required to work;


(b) wages paid to a registered regular waterside worker at a permanent port in respect of any period during which the waterside worker was absent from work on annual leave, being leave—

(i) to which the waterside worker became entitled before the date as from which the port is to be deemed to have been a permanent port; and

(ii) that commenced on or after that date and before the next thirtieth day of June after that date;

(c) wages paid to a registered regular waterside worker at a permanent port in respect of any period during which the waterside worker was absent from work on annual leave, being leave that is attributable to a period of casual employment of the waterside worker that commenced on or after the date as from which the port is to be deemed to have been a permanent port;

(d) such part, if any, of any amount in lieu of annual leave paid, on or after the operative date, to a person whose registration under the Stevedoring Industry Act as a registered regular waterside worker at a permanent port has been cancelled within one year after the date as from which the port is to be deemed to have been a permanent port as is attributable to a period of casual employment of the waterside worker; and

(e) contributions to the Fund paid, or to be paid, on or after the operative date, by the holding company on behalf of the Association.

Payments by Authority to the Association.

7a. Subject to any direction of the Minister, the Authority may make payments to the Association for the purpose of meeting the cost to the Association of payments made, or to be made, in accordance with the regulations in respect of waterside workers whose registration under the Stevedoring Industry Act at a port has been or is cancelled on the ground that the number of waterside workers at the port is more than the number required for the proper and effective conduct of stevedoring operations at the port.

Refund of part of charge.

7b. Subject to any direction of the Minister, where the Authority is satisfied that—

(a) an employer has, on or after the operative date, employed class A waterside workers in accordance with a special agreement for weekly hiring; and

(b) the employer has paid the charge imposed by the Stevedoring Industry Charge Act 1947–1967 in respect of that employment,

the Authority may pay to the employer an amount equal to such part of the charge so paid as the Authority considers appropriate having regard to the proportion of the amounts paid to the Authority under section 46 of the Stevedoring Industry Act that, from time to time, is applied by the Authority for the purpose of meeting the cost to the holding company of the wages referred to in paragraph (a) of section 7 of this Act..

Overview

The Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions) Act 1968 was enacted to amend the Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions) Act 1967. This Act was introduced to address issues within the stevedoring industry, particularly focusing on the temporary provisions governing employment and payments related to waterside workers. The Act was enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia. Its policy objective is to ensure that the Stevedoring Industry Authority can make necessary payments to meet the costs associated with the employment of waterside workers, including wages and annual leave entitlements, while also facilitating refunds for certain charges related to specific employment agreements.

Scope and Application

The Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions) Act 1968 applies to entities and individuals involved in the stevedoring industry, specifically targeting the Association of Employers of Waterside Labour and the Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia. It concerns the regulation of payments for wages and contributions related to waterside workers, particularly those employed under specific agreements or who are absent on annual leave. The Act extends its application to transactions and conduct occurring on or after the operative date, which is the 27th of November, 1967. The scope of the Act is national, as it is enacted by the Commonwealth of Australia and is applicable across all states and territories within Australia. The Act does not explicitly state any exclusions or exemptions, but it does provide for the Minister’s discretion in directing certain payments. The application of the Act may be further extended or restricted through subordinate instruments such as regulations or ministerial directions.

Key Provisions

The Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions) Act 1968 amends the existing Stevedoring Industry (Temporary Provisions) Act 1967, introducing new provisions and definitions. Section 7 of the Principal Act is repealed and replaced with new provisions (sections 7, 7A, and 7B). These sections allow the Authority to make payments to the holding company and the Association for various specified costs, including wages for waterside workers who are available for work but not required to work, wages for annual leave taken by waterside workers, and contributions to the Fund by the holding company on behalf of the Association. The Authority can also refund part of a charge paid by employers who have employed class A waterside workers under a special agreement for weekly hiring. The Act imposes obligations on the Authority, the holding company, and the Association. The Authority must make payments to the holding company and the Association as specified in the new sections, subject to any directions from the Minister. The holding company and the Association must ensure that the payments made are used for the specified purposes. Employers who have employed class A waterside workers under a special agreement for weekly hiring must have paid the relevant charge to be eligible for a refund from the Authority. Breaches of the Act's provisions may result in legal consequences. While specific offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences are not explicitly stated in the Act, it is likely that failure to comply with the payment and refund provisions could lead to legal action. The maximum penalties for such breaches would be determined by the relevant courts based on the nature and severity of the breach.

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Commercial Law
Labour & Employment Law
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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.