Trade Boards Act 1909
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act to provide for the establishment of Trade Boards for certain Trades. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 9 Edw. 7. c. 22 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 20 October 1909 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Wages Councils Act 1945 |
| Relates to | Trade Boards Act 1918 |
Status: Repealed | |
The Trade Boards Act 1909 (9 Edw. 7. c. 22) was a piece of social legislation passed in the United Kingdom in 1909. It provided for the creation of boards which could set minimum wage criteria that were legally enforceable. It was expanded and updated in the Trade Boards Act 1918. The main provision was to set minimum wages in certain trades with historically low wages, often due to a surplus of available workers due to the widespread employment of workers or lack of skills needed for employment.
At first it applied to four industries: chain-making, ready-made tailoring, paper-box making, machine-made lace making, and finishing trades. It was later expanded in 1912: mining and then to other industries with a preponderance of unskilled manual labour.