A joiner creates items by combining pieces of wood, engineered timber, or synthetic substitutes.

A cabinet maker is a specialist woodworker who designs and builds cabinetry and furniture.

Award coverage for joiners and cabinet makers depends on the:

• industry their employer operates in
• location of work performed
• type of product created.

There can be an overlap in the work performed by joiners and cabinet makers. Although the roles are different, sometimes the job titles are also used interchangeably.

Where there’s competing award coverage, the appropriate award will be the award that:

• suits the environment in which the employee normally performs their work
• has the most suitable classification for the employee.

Determining coverage for joiners and cabinet makers can be complex. The information below provides general guidance. You may wish to seek independent advice about your own situation.

Joinery Award

The Joinery Award covers employers in the joinery and building trades industries, which includes joinery work and shopfitting.

It also provides occupational coverage for joiners who aren’t covered by an industry award.

Joinery work

Joinery work means work done in a joinery shop to prepare, decorate and assemble joinery or building components. This includes the prefabrication of woodwork pieces such as cabinets, doors, and staircases.

Only joinery shops located away from an on-site construction project are covered by the Joinery Award.

Joiners under the Joinery Award don’t do any work on-site, such as at a domestic dwelling or building site.

Example

Tvisha works for Draven Kitchens, which is part of the Draven Group. Draven Kitchens designs and manufactures kitchen cabinetry from wood and other materials.

Tvisha is a joiner. She works in the joinery shop, preparing and assembling kitchen cabinets. She doesn’t do any work on-site.

Tvisha is covered by the Joinery Award.

Shopfitting

Shopfitters covered by the Joinery Award can do similar work to joiners. They manufacture shopfronts, showcases and partitions from glass and other materials.

They also work on-site, to install fittings and fixtures in or on a shop building.

Timber Award

The Timber Award covers employers in the timber industry.

Relevantly, the timber industry includes the milling and processing, panel products and manufacturing sectors.

A cabinet maker or joiner covered by the Timber Award is generally performing their duties in the manufacturing sector. The manufacturing sector also includes the activities in the milling and processing sector, such as processing logs and raw timber into building timber and other value-added products.

The types of wooden items a cabinet maker or joiner creates or repairs include:

• furniture such as cabinets and chairs, including caravan furniture and in-built furniture
• wooden musical instruments such as pianos
• wooden toys
• doors, trusses, and other building products made from wood or timber.

Example

Jaxon works for El Grande Timber and Cabinetry as a cabinet maker.

El Grande sources timber from a local lumber mill and processes it into building timber and boards that are suitable for furniture making.

Jaxon creates custom furniture for clients, including freestanding and in-built cabinetry. He specialises in luxury kitchens and bathrooms, made from the high quality timber processed by El Grande.

Jaxon is covered by the Timber Award.

Building and Construction Award

The Building and Construction Award covers businesses constructing, altering or installing woodwork (such as cabinetry) in a construction site work environment. This includes installing kitchen cabinets.

It doesn’t cover businesses that do shopfitting.

Employees can be classified as carpenter/joiners.

Example

Arnie works for Draven Construction, another company in the Draven Group. Draven Construction installs the finished cabinetry made by Draven Kitchens at domestic construction sites.

Arnie is a carpenter and joiner. He works on-site, installing kitchens in new homes. Arnie is covered by the Building and Construction Award.