Industrial Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Industrial Relations - Essay Example As the discussion declares the first stature for the labourers was formulated to help the community get access to physically well built men who were not engaged in any other activity of craftsmanship etc. to work for hire on a standardized wage rate. This was the first time that the wages were standardized through a public legislation. In the middle ages there was a shortage of labour owing to an epidemic. Legislations were made so as to prevent people from taking advantage of the situation by asking for exorbitant remuneration in return for the labour. Thus, there were penalties not only for those asking for an increase in wages but also for those lords who were ready to pay extra for getting their work done. There were even statues for those workers who moved to other countries in search of better wages and work. The statute allowed the sheriffs to arrest such workers and bring them back to Britain. This paper stresses that the early 15th century saw some more liberalization on working laws and even child labour statutes. Earlier laws required parents to put children in such labour which was the requirement of their estates. But the new statute gave freedom to the parents to decide for their children’s future and allowed them to send their children to school. There were modifications to the law restricting free movement of labour and also no control of workers over the decision of setting wages for work. Though freedom was given to the lords over decision regarding wages, the workers were still not free to decide what wage they can work for.