The Statute of Labourers (1351)

The Statute of Labourers, enacted in 1351 in England, was a law aimed at controlling wages and labor conditions following the Black Death, which had caused a severe labor shortage. It mandated that workers could not demand higher wages than those established before the plague and required them to accept work at those rates. The statute sought to protect landowners' interests and curb inflation of wages, essentially limiting workers' rights to negotiate for better pay. It reflected the tensions between laborers who sought fair compensation and a feudal system struggling to maintain its economic structure.