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TUC reports on effect of employment tribunal fees
At what price justice? The impact of employment tribunal fees, a TUC report published in July to mark the one-year anniversary of employment tribunal (ET) fees, analyses the latest Ministry of Justice statistics and reveals the following:
•There has been an 80 per cent fall in the number of women pursuing sex discrimination claims. Just 1,222 women took out claims between January and March 2014, compared to 6,017 over the same period in 2013.
•The number of women pursuing pregnancy discrimination claims is also down by over a quarter (26 per cent), with just three per cent of women seeking financial compensation after losing their jobs.
•During the first three months of 2014 the number of race discrimination and sexual orientation claims both fell by 60 per cent compared to the same period in 2013. Disability claims have experienced a 46 per cent year-on-year reduction. (See page 37 of this issue.)
Frances O’Grady, TUC General Secretary, said: ‘Employment tribunal fees have been a huge victory for Britain’s worst bosses. By charging up-front fees for harassment and abuse claims, the government has made it easier for bad employers to get away with the most appalling behaviour. Tribunal fees are part of a wider campaign to get rid of workers’ basic rights. The consequence has been to price low-paid and vulnerable people out of justice.’