Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904

Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904
Parliament of Australia
  • An act relating to Conciliation and Arbitration for the Prevention and Settlement of Industrial Disputes extending beyond the Limits of any one State
CitationNo. 13 of 1904
Territorial extentStates and territories of Australia
Royal assent15 December 1904
Legislative history
Bill titleCommonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Bill 1904
Introduced byAlfred Deakin
Status: Repealed

The Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904 (Cth) was an Act of the Parliament of Australia, which established the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, besides other things, and sought to introduce the rule of law in industrial relations in Australia. The Act received royal assent on 15 December 1904.[1]

The Act applied to industrial disputes “extending beyond the limits of any one State, including disputes in relation to employment upon State railways, or to employment in industries carried on by or under the control of the Commonwealth or a State or any public authority constituted under the Commonwealth or a State”.

The Act was amended many times and was superseded by the Industrial Relations Act 1988 and was repealed by the Industrial Relations (Consequential Provisions) Act 1988 with effect on 1 March 1989. The Industrial Relations Act 1988 was itself replaced by the Workplace Relations Act 1996.