Cashless pay, deductions from wages, and the repeal of the Truck Acts in Great Britain, 1945-1986

This article examines the public debate between 1945 and 1986 in Great Britain over repealing the Truck Acts. Advocates of repeal hoped that it might encourage workers to accept wage payment by cheque or electronic transfer, which most manual workers opposed. This article will evaluate the arguments that the Truck Acts, which protected employees’ right to be paid in the current coin of the realm and defended them against unfair deductions from wages, had become ‘obsolete’ and hindered contractual arrangements that could be beneficial.

• Date: 17/08/2019
• Sector: Any
• Topics: Digital technology, Inclusive finance, Workers' rights
• Regions: Europe and Central Asia
• Resource type: Publications from partners
• Institutions: Labor History