Just when speculation was circulating that the Government might be thawing its approach to businesses, with rumour that they may be considering resurrecting the reintroduction of fees for the Employment Tribunal, it seems that David Lammy has finally scotched the idea.
The Guardian had suggested during Conference Season that, in an attempt to ease the funding crisis in the Ministry of Justice, this might very well feature on the Government’s agenda. Perhaps thawing was an overstatement, but there may be perceived benefits to employers if claimants were, once again, subject to application fees when submitting complaints to the Employment Tribunal if it acts as a deterrent to claimants.
Union bosses were taking the position that this might be considered beneficial only to ‘unscrupulous’ bosses who may, (in their view) already be exploiting low-paid workers. We have been here before, and it was a successful challenge by the unions that brought it to a grinding halt, however, that legal action did leave the door at least ajar to the possibility of fees being a feature again in the future, albeit at a more modest level. But not this time.
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