Higgins 300w

the harvester judgement

By acarter2

  • Average worker not protected

    Throughout the 1800s in Australia, the average worker was not well protected from hazards at work.

  • what goods and services costed in 1901

    in 1901 a loaf of bread cost between two and three pence (approximately two cents) and eggs were one shilling and three pence (around twelve cents) for a dozen. A man's business shirt cost around eight shillings and six pence (85 cents) and the average weekly rent for a three bedroom house was 13 shillings ($1.30).

  • conciliation and arbitration court established by the federal government

    The Conciliation and Arbitration Court was established by the federal government in 1904 to resolve disagreements between employers and employees

  • HV McKay become commonwealths largest manufacturing exporter

    By 1904, HV McKay had become the Commonwealth's largest manufacturing exporter

  • the future of wages changed

    In 1907, it changed the future of wages for Australian workers when it was faced with the case of Ex parte HV McKay (1907) 2 CAR 1. It has famously become known as, the 'Harvester judgement.'

  • HV McKay applied to the conciliation and arbitration court

    In 1907, HV McKay applied to the Conciliation and Arbitration Court for an exemption from the Excise Tariff (Agricultural Machinery) Act 1906 (Cth). The Act involved an excise on locally made machinery being waived if employers were found to be paying 'fair and reasonable' wages.

  • wages board introduced

    by 1910 a wages board or an arbitration court had been established in every State of Australia.

  • the basic wages was changed

    There were also complaints that for the basic wage to truly represent what was needed by the average worker to support himself and his family, it needed to fluctuate with the cost of living. It did not change until 1914, leaving many workers disgruntled