[IER] Ministers' decision to reintroduce tribunal fees criticised by lawyers, unions and rights groups

Fri Mar 1 12:38:02 GMT 2024

News brief 01/03/24    <https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=16d8bc7c57> View this email in your browser 

  <https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/3038f9d5-b388-4d05-b8a1-dcf173b2070d.png> 

Ministers’ decision to reintroduce tribunal fees criticised by lawyers, unions and rights groups

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/fc33639c-e726-75da-b7bb-a00a039c852a.jpg> 

Unions, legal networks and rights organisations have slammed the government’s decision to reintroduce employment tribunal fees.

In a joint statement penned by 48 organisations and campaigners including the TUC, Citizens Advice, Maternity Action, Women’s Budget Group, Liberty, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Fawcett Society, Mother Pukka, the groups call on the government to urgently reconsider its plans.

In 2017, after Unison brought a legal challenge, the Supreme Court quashed the previous tribunal fees regime because it “effectively prevents access to justice and is therefore unlawful.”

The joint statement says the decision will put yet another hurdle in front of those seeking justice, highlighting the existing barriers working people face including:

*	Lack of awareness of key employment rights and the process for bringing a claim.
*	Strict time limits on filing claims.
*	An under-resourced employment tribunal system leading to significant delays in cases being heard.
*	An under-funded labour market enforcement system that doesn’t have enough inspectors to proactively enforce employment rights.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/unions-lawyers-and-rights-groups-slam-ministers-decision-to-reintroduce-tribunal-fees/> More details 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/7e7dd6c3-aa9f-aead-aa17-d62b27ceedce.jpg> 

What is the point of another ET fees scheme?

Shantha David, head of legal services at Unison, argues that (once again) the introduction of Employment Tribunal Fees would be an impediment to access to justice. 

 <https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice-points/what-is-the-point-of-another-et-fees-scheme/5118789.article> More details 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/f1a36df8-8ac5-3ae3-0c2d-b667c8447496.jpg> 

Labour’s New Deal on workers rights leaves UK business ‘on edge’

"A battle over workers’ rights is already prompting disquiet across UK boardrooms and will play a central role in the next general election campaign" 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/labours-new-deal-on-workers-rights-leaves-uk-business-on-edge/> More details 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/f4d5e82a-80b7-8485-b73b-2f3d02eb714d.png> 

Defend the right to strike: now it’s up to the councils

A group of unions and campaigners are calling on councils to explicitly reject the anti-worker legislation of the Strikes Act — or themselves face action. (via the Morning Star) 

 <https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/defend-the-right-to-strike-now-its-up-to-the-councils> More details 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/78f118dc-2ec8-b184-2a8d-5e09f70cd246.jpg> 

Eight years after Didcot: how long do the families have to wait?

Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) statement on 8 years of the Didcot collapse investigation

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/eight-years-after-didcot-how-long-do-the-families-have-to-wait/> Read here 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/d99bbd6b-3d79-b2cb-dc5b-b903979867e7.jpg> 

Gig economy: Law firm launches probe for Parcelforce drivers in latest workers’ rights row

Law firm Leigh Day has launched an investigation on behalf of Parcelforce drivers to establish if they have been misclassified as self-employed independent contractors rather than workers. (Via CityAM) 

 <https://www.cityam.com/gig-economy-law-firm-launches-probe-for-parcelforce-drivers-in-latest-workers-rights-row/> More details 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/863ddccc-38bd-65b3-e55e-393b32e0777a.jpg> 

Revealed: Deliveroo encouraged restaurants to call police on strikes

Food delivery app accused of using ‘deliberately inflammatory’ language after police ‘disrupted’ London strike.

 <https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/deliveroo-strikes-police-delivery-workers-riders-drivers-gig-economy-fair-pay/> More details 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/48f83feb-77ea-7a93-0b83-ab492b23cba0.jpg> 

Elon Musk’s fight against workers’ rights

The billionaire is leading corporate America’s latest assault on working people, Sohrab Ahmari writes in the New Statesman

 <https://www.newstatesman.com/comment/2024/02/elon-musk-workers-rights> More details 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/93b2e861-368e-b935-a8df-14a0a33b44df.jpeg> 

Employment and Trade Union Rights (Dismissal and Re-engagement) Bill – House of Lords

Lord Tony Woodley's Private Members Bill published on the 21st February 2024

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/employment-and-trade-union-rights-dismissal-and-re-engagement-bill-house-of-lords/> More details 

 <https://us12.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftheinstituteofemploymentrights&xid=44dbc32376&uid=51596797&iid=16d8bc7c57&pool=cts&v=2&c=1709295904&h=10bc3bf2018fbcd56d1b85bb512b7f17523c77be1d31c3b68327f734203489c0> 

 <https://us12.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftheinstituteofemploymentrights&xid=44dbc32376&uid=51596797&iid=16d8bc7c57&pool=cts&v=2&c=1709295904&h=10bc3bf2018fbcd56d1b85bb512b7f17523c77be1d31c3b68327f734203489c0> Facebook 

 <https://us12.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2FIERUK%2F&xid=44dbc32376&uid=51596797&iid=16d8bc7c57&pool=cts&v=2&c=1709295904&h=bc10d05b2f317cb452e5dbc3c62736c64fbfee5b6b28b25be1489a08f50f6a5b> 

 <https://us12.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2FIERUK%2F&xid=44dbc32376&uid=51596797&iid=16d8bc7c57&pool=cts&v=2&c=1709295904&h=bc10d05b2f317cb452e5dbc3c62736c64fbfee5b6b28b25be1489a08f50f6a5b> Twitter 

 <https://us12.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ier.org.uk&xid=44dbc32376&uid=51596797&iid=16d8bc7c57&pool=cts&v=2&c=1709295904&h=696840bcafa1057be7f765ea3d9be550978d999c3c558af02c9ee5ff975340e9> 

 <https://us12.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ier.org.uk&xid=44dbc32376&uid=51596797&iid=16d8bc7c57&pool=cts&v=2&c=1709295904&h=696840bcafa1057be7f765ea3d9be550978d999c3c558af02c9ee5ff975340e9> Website 

Our mailing address is:

Institute of Employment Rights

4th Floor Jack Jones House

1 Islington

Liverpool, Merseyside L3 8EG 

United Kingdom

 <https://ier.us12.list-manage.com/vcard?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=4e9e05d15d> Add us to your address book

To unsubscribe, follow the instructions at the bottom of this email or in the .txt document attached. If you cannot find the instructions, please contact james at ier.org.uk  

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://mailman.gn.apc.org/pipermail/ier-elist/attachments/20240301/93d76bfc/attachment-0001.html>