Definition of workman excludes military, police, managerial and high-paid supervisory employees explicitly under the Act. Section 2 defines employer as the prescribed authority for government departments or the head of the department, and the chief executive officer for local authorities. Workman includes any person (including an apprentice) employed for manual, skilled, technical, clerical or supervisory work and, in industrial dispute proceedings, includes those dismissed, discharged or retrenched connected with the dispute; exclusions cover armed forces personnel, police and prison employees, managerial or administrative staff, and supervisory employees who exceed the statutory wage threshold or perform mainly managerial functions.