Application by Western Junction Sawmill Pty Ltd
What happened
Western Junction Sawmill Pty Ltd applied to the Fair Work Commission for approval of its Western Junction Sawmill Pty Ltd Collective Agreement 2026. The Timber, Furnishing and Textiles Union – Tasmanian Division supports the agreement and wants it to cover its members. The agreement is a single enterprise agreement covering employees in the timber and paper products industry.
What was decided
The Fair Work Commission approved the Western Junction Sawmill Pty Ltd Collective Agreement 2026. The Commission found some clauses were inconsistent with the National Employment Standards (NES), specifically regarding casual conversion and personal leave. However, the agreement includes a clause stating the NES will prevail in cases of inconsistency. The agreement will operate from 21 August 2026 and expire on 30 June 2029.
What it means for employers
Employers should review enterprise agreements to ensure they align with the National Employment Standards. Specifically, clauses regarding casual conversion and personal leave need careful consideration to avoid inconsistencies that could be superseded by the NES.
What it means for employees
Employees should be aware that even if an enterprise agreement has less favourable terms than the National Employment Standards, the NES will apply. This is particularly relevant for casual conversion and personal leave entitlements.
Want this applied to your situation?
Reading the decision is free. FairWork Mate goes further — it reads the full case library and applies precedents like this one to your specific facts, citing the cases as it reasons. General information, not a guaranteed outcome or legal advice.
Want more cases like this?
FairWork Mate tracks Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Commission and Federal Court decisions across Australia. The AI advisor answers plain-English questions grounded on the full corpus — awards cited, industry, penalty amounts and affected employee counts — with a citation to the underlying decision on every answer.
FairWork Mate AI
This is one decision. Pro reads all of them.
Free case pages cite the top 250 decisions. Pro opens the full Fair Work Commission and Federal Court library, cross-references your own situation against it, and cites the decision behind every answer — plus document upload, so it can read your letter or contract line by line. 150 questions a month, cancel anytime.
Renews monthly at A$29.99 until you cancel. By continuing you agree to our Terms.
Get notified on new Fair Work cases
Free email alerts when we publish new underpayment decisions, penalty orders, and workplace law updates.