UK acts of Parliament introduced 1831, 1887,
1896, and 1940 to prevent employers misusing
wage-payment systems to the detriment of
their workers. The legislation made it
illegal to pay wages with goods in kind or
with tokens for use in shops owned by the
employers. The 1940 act prevented employers
giving canteen meals in lieu of wages. The
1831 act had no means of enforcement, and
even after the 1887 act, responsibility and
costs of bringing prosecutions lay with the
aggrieved worker.