Employment Tribunal Fees
One of the most dramatic changes to the employment
law environment under the outgoing parliament, is the introduction of
employment tribunal fees in 2013. Claimants now have to pay £250 in order to
bring most types of claim to a tribunal, and a further £950 in order for their
claim to proceed to a hearing. This has resulted in a massive drop in
claims, as many individuals who have just lost their job are unable to to pay
these fees.
Whilst this has been good
news for employers, it does seem as if access to justice may have been
curtailed for a number of genuine claimants.
It will be interesting, therefore, to consider what may happen to the employment tribunal fees under a new government. Below, I have set out in brief the tack taken by the main political parties in their manifestos:
- Conservative
As they were the main
drivers behind the introduction of fees, it is perhaps not surprising that they
do not make any proposal to change the current system.
- Labour
"The Conservatives have introduced fees of up
to £1,200 for employment tribunal claimants, creating a significant barrier to
workplace justice. We will abolish the Government's employment tribunal fee
system as part of wider reforms to make sure that affordability is not a
barrier to workers having proper access to justice, employers get a quicker
resolution, and the costs to the tax payer do not rise."
They do not mention,
however, whether they will replace the system with a new one - perhaps by
reducing the fees - or whether they will be scrapped altogether.
- Liberal
Democrats
"We will...Improve the enforcement of
employment rights, reviewing Employment Tribunal fees to ensure they are not a
barrier."
So any potential change will be dependent on the outcome of a "review".
- Green Party
"We will...reduce
Employment Tribunal fees so that tribunals are accessible to workers."
A clear commitment to a
reduction but no indication of by how much.
- UKIP
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