Orders Declaring that the Conditions as to the Remuneration of Labour are Fair and Reasonable Regulations (Provisional)

Legislation au C1907L00027 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1907. No. 27.

 

PROVISIONAL REGULATIONS UNDER THE EXCISE ACT 1901 AND THE EXCISE TARIFF 1906 (No. 16 of 1906).

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby certify that, on account of urgency, the following regulations under the Excise Act 1901 and the Excise Tariff 1906 (No. 16 of 1906) should come into immediate operation, and make the regulations to come into operation forthwith as provisional regulations.

Dated the twenty-seventh day of March, 1907.

NORTHCOTE.

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s command,

JOHN FORREST.

 

Regulations relating to Orders declaring that the Conditions as to the Remuneration of Labour are fair and reasonable.

1. Every manufacturer who intends to make application to the President of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration for an Order, under paragraph (b) of section 2 of the Excise Tariff 1906, that the conditions as to remuneration of labour in his factory are fair and reasonable, shall post up in his factory, and keep so posted for at least a week before making the application, a notice in accordance with the Form A in the Schedule.

2. The application for the order may be in accordance with Form B in the Schedule.

3. The application, with an affidavit verifying it, should be lodged with the Industrial Registrar at the Principal Registry of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, at Melbourne, or to the Deputy Registrar of the Court in the State where the factory is situate.

4. (1) The affidavit should state—

(a) That the statements in the application are true and correct in every particular; and

(b) That a notice of intention to make the application was posted up in the factory, and kept so posted up for at least a week prior to the date of lodging the application; and

(c) That no complaints have been made by the employés in the factory that the rates of wages paid therein are not fair and reasonable, or, if any such complaints have been made, that they have been made and are attached to the affidavit as exhibits.

(2) The affidavit should in addition state all special circumstances the manufacturer thinks should be stated in order to show that the conditions in the factory as to remuneration of labour are fair and reasonable, and also any circumstances which he thinks show that any complaints received are not well founded.


5. All applications will be heard by the President in open Court and applicants must be present at the Court at the hearing or be represented by Counsel or by a solicitor or agent. The Registrar will give notice to applicants of the time and place appointed for the hearing.

 

THE SCHEDULE.

 

Form A.

Name of Factory

Notice of Intention to apply for an Order that the Conditions as to Remuneration of Labour in this Factory are fair and reasonable.

I/We hereby give notice that I/we intend, forthwith after the expiration of one week from the date hereof, to make application to the President of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration for an order under paragraph (d) of section 2 of the Excise Tariff 1906 declaring that the conditions as to the remuneration of labour in this factory are fair and reasonable.

Dated the day of 190 

 

Form b.

In the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration.

Application for an Order that the Conditions as to Remuneration of Labour are Fair and Reasonable.

To His Honour,

The President of the Court,

I, (1)

We,

of (2)

hereby make application for an order in terms of paragraph (d) of section 2 of the Excise Tariff 1906 (No. 16 of 1906) that the conditions as to the remuneration of labour in my/our factory (in which goods dutiable under the said Act are manufactured) are fair and reasonable.

1. My/Our factory is situate at     in the State of                                                          and is called                                                                                                 

2. The goods dutiable under the said Act which are manufactured in my/our factory are (3)

3. The wages paid and the hours worked in my/our factory are as follows:—(4)

4. The wages paid and the hours worked are fair and reasonable and (5)

Dated the day of 190

(Signature of Applicants.)

 

 

(1) Name or names in full.

(2) Address and occupation.

(3) Here set out the descriptions of goods manufactured in the factory.

(4) Here set out the different classes of labour employed and the wages paid to each and the number of hours worked.

(5) Here set out any special reason to show that the wages and hours are reasonable, each as “are in accordance with the determination of the              Wages Board” or “are in accordance with the rates ruling in the State in similar factories,”


N.B.—This application, and the affidavit verifying it, must be lodged with the Industrial Registrar of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration at Melbourne, or with the Deputy Registrar of the Court in the State where the factory is situate.

The affidavit should state—

(a) that the statements in the application are true and correct in every particular; and

(b) that a notice of intention to make the application was posted up in the factory and kept so posted up for at least a week prior to the date of lodging the application; and.

(c) that no complaints have been made by the employés in the factory that the rates of wages paid therein are not fair and reasonable, or if any such complaints have been made that they have been made and are attached to the affidavit as exhibits:

and should in addition state all special circumstances the manufacturer thinks should be stated in order to show that the conditions in the factory as to remuneration of labour are fair and reasonable, and also any circumstances which he thinks show that any complaints received are not well founded.

 

By Authority: J. Kemp, Acting Government Printer, Melbourne.

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1907 No. 27, Provisional Regulations under the Excise Act 1901 and the Excise Tariff 1906, were enacted in 1907 by the Governor-General in the Federal Executive Council. These regulations address the need for a formal process through which manufacturers could apply for orders from the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, certifying that the conditions of remuneration for labour in their factories were fair and reasonable. The policy objective was to ensure that manufacturers provided clear and transparent information to their employees and the court regarding wages and working conditions, thereby facilitating fair industrial practices. The regulations were made to come into immediate operation due to urgency, and they outline the procedures for posting notices, lodging applications, and the requirements for affidavits to verify the accuracy of the claims made in these applications.

Scope and Application

The Statutory Rules 1907, No. 27, issued under the authority of the Governor-General, establish provisional regulations pursuant to the Excise Act 1901 and the Excise Tariff 1906. These regulations are specifically aimed at manufacturers who intend to apply to the President of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration for an order declaring that the conditions concerning the remuneration of labour in their factories are fair and reasonable. The regulations apply nationwide, as they mandate that manufacturers post a notice in their factories and adhere to specific procedures when submitting their applications, including lodging the application and a verifying affidavit with the appropriate court officials. The scope of the regulations encompasses all manufacturers within the Commonwealth of Australia who are subject to the Excise Tariff 1906, ensuring uniformity in the process for seeking such declarations. Additionally, the regulations outline the content and form of the required notices and applications, as well as the necessity for the manufacturer to be present or represented at the court hearing.

Key Provisions

The key provisions of these provisional regulations, as outlined in section 1, mandate that any manufacturer planning to apply to the President of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration for an order declaring that the conditions as to remuneration of labour in their factory are fair and reasonable, must first post a notice in the factory. This notice must be displayed for at least one week before the application is made (section 1). The application itself must be in the form prescribed by Form B in the Schedule, which includes details such as the factory's location, the goods manufactured, and the wages and hours worked (section 2). Additionally, the application must be accompanied by an affidavit verifying its contents, stating that the factory posted a notice of intention to apply, and detailing any complaints made by employees (section 4). The application, along with the affidavit, should be lodged with the Industrial Registrar at the Principal Registry of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration in Melbourne, or with the Deputy Registrar of the Court in the state where the factory is located (section 3). Under these regulations, manufacturers are obligated to ensure that they adhere to the stipulated notice and application procedures. Specifically, they must post a notice of their intent to apply for the order for at least a week before lodging the application (section 1). The application must be in the prescribed form, and accompanied by an affidavit that verifies the truthfulness of the statements made and confirms the posting of the notice of intention to apply (section 4). Furthermore, the manufacturer must provide any relevant special circumstances that support the fairness of the remuneration conditions and address any employee complaints (section 4). Failure to comply with these regulations can result in various consequences. The precise nature of these consequences is not detailed in the text, but it is implied that non-compliance could lead to the application being rejected or other legal repercussions. The regulations do not explicitly state penalties or specific consequences for breaches, but given the context of the Excise Act 1901 and the Excise Tariff 1906, it is reasonable to infer that serious non-compliance could lead to civil or criminal penalties, as typically provided for under the primary legislation. The maximum penalties would be in accordance with the relevant sections of the primary Act and any associated case law.

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