TUC Comments on Fall in Tribunal Claims

Recent statistics released by the Ministry of Justice show that there has been a 79% fall in claims brought before the Employment Tribunal since the introduction of fees in July 2013. In response, the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) suggests that the statistics are a “huge victory” for Britain’s worst bosses.

To highlight the impact that Tribunal fees had, between October and December 2013 just 9,801 claims were presented compared to 45,710 claims submitted in the same period in 2012.

Figures released between January and March 2014 show particular trends in discrimination legislation, such as:

• An 80% reduction in the number of women pursuing sex discrimination claims.
• A reduction of 26% in the number of claims brought in relation to pregnancy discrimination.
• A reduction of 60% in the number of race and sexual orientation discrimination claims issued.

A further concern relates to claims made under the contracts of employment. Unpaid wages and holiday pay claims have fallen by approximately 85%, and this perhaps is attributed to the fact that fees are often more expensive than the sum being claimed.

Whilst the TUC suggests that charging fees makes it easier for employers to escape retribution for “the most appalling behaviour”, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) take a different view. The CBI points to the positive Tribunal reforms, most helpfully earlier conciliation via ACAS in alleviating the frustrations felt by employers with regard to the previous Tribunal system.
We expect to have a full set of annual statistics in the coming months and this will highlight further trends in the system which is likely to continue to show a significant reduction in claims being brought before the Tribunal.