Statute of Labourers of 1351
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The Statute of Labourers was a law enacted by the English parliament under King Edward III in 1351 in response to a labour shortage. It was introduced by Sir John Halles.
The Black Death, which killed approximately one-third of the population of Europe, caused a dramatic decrease in the supply of labour. Landowners suddenly faced a sharp increase in competition for workers. Labourers had increased bargaining power and commanded higher wages. The increase in labour cost also led to inflation throughout the economy. The elite class lamented the sudden shift in economic power. In an attempt to control labour costs and price levels, Edward issued the Ordinance of Labourers in 1349. Parliament attempted to reinforce the Ordinance with the Statute of Labourers.
The statute sets a maximum wage for laborers that is commeasurate to wages paid before the Black Death. It also mandated that able-bodied men and women work, and imposed harsh penalties for those who remained idle. In practice, the statute was poorly enforced and unsuccessful, but it set a precedent that distinguished between laborers who were "able in body" to work and those who could not work for other reasons. This distinguishing resurfaced in later laws regarding poverty.
The Ordinance of Labourers and Statute of Labourers were of course very unpopular with the peasants who wanted higher wages and a better life, and was a contributing factor to subsequent peasant revolts, most notably the English peasants' revolt of 1381. Similar processes happened throughout Europe—wage caps following a labor shortage after the Black Death resulting in popular revolts.
