Munitions of War Act 1917
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1917 c. 45 |
| Year | 1917 |
Munitions of War Act, 1917,
(7 & 8 Geo. 5.) CHAPTER 45.
An Act to extend and amend the Munitions of War Acts, 1915 and 1916.
[21st August 1917]
Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
1 Power to give directions as to remuneration of certain classes of work.
(1) If at any time during the continuance of the present war the Minister of Munitions considers it necessary, in order to maintain the output of munitions, that directions should be given with respect to the remuneration to be paid for work (being munitions work or work in connection therewith or work in any controlled establishment), which at the time when the directions are given is paid at time rates, he may, subject always and without prejudice to any agreement made between employers and workmen with the consent of the Minister with respect to the remuneration of such work, by order give such directions with respect to the remuneration of such work as he may consider necessary for the purpose of the maintenance or increase of output.
(2) Any contravention of or non-compliance with any such directions shall be punishable in like manner as if the order in which the directions are contained was an award made in settlement of a difference under Part I. of the Munitions of War Act, 1915 , but where a difference has arisen respecting matters on which the Minister of Munitions has given directions under this section the difference shall be referred to a special arbitration tribunal constituted under section eight of the Munitions of War (Amendment) Act, 1916 .
(3) Any directions given under this section may be varied from time to time, but shall not continue in force after the termination of the present war.
2 Restriction on employment of workmen who have been engaged on certain munition work.
2. The Minister of Munitions, on being satisfied that the provisions of section seven of the Munitions of War Act, 1915, as amended by any subsequent enactment, can consistently with the national interests be repealed, may by order repeal those provisions, and thereupon the following provisions shall have effect in lieu thereof:—
(1) It shall not be lawful for a person without the consent of the Minister of Munitions to give employment to a workman who has, since the passing of this Act, been employed—
(a ) on or in connection with munitions work of a class specified in paragraph (a ) of subsection (1) of section nine of the Munitions of War (Amendment) Act, 1916; or
(b ) on or in connection with munitions work of any other class which may be specified in an order of the Minister of Munitions
where the work on which he is to be employed is not work on or in connection with munitions work.
The consent of the Minister of Munitions for the purposes of this provision may be given either as respects an individual case or generally as respects work or workmen of any particular class or description:
(2) If any person contravenes this provision he shall be guilty of an offence, triable by a munitions tribunal of the second class, under the Munitions of War Act, 1915, unless he proves that he did not know that, and had taken all reasonable steps to ascertain whether, the workman had been so employed; but proceedings for such an offence shall not be instituted except by the Minister of Munitions or the Admiralty, or by a person acting on his or their behalf:
(3) A person guilty of such an offence shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five pounds for each day or part of a day during which the contravention continues:
(4) The purpose of ascertaining whether the provisions of this section have been contravened in any establishment shall be included amongst the purposes for which the powers of entry, examination, and enquiry conferred by section seventeen of the Munitions of War (Amendment) Act, 1916, are exerciseable.
3 Termination of contracts.
(1) If the provisions of section seven of the Munitions of War Act, 1915, as amended by any subsequent enactment, are repealed by an order under this Act a contract of service between an employer and a workman employed on or in connection with munitions work shall, notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary, not be determinable by either party except by a...
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