TUC research shows that number of claims to employment tribunal has fallen drastically after government imposes fees
New figures published by the TUC today show that the number of working people challenging discrimination or unfair treatment at work has fallen by 9,000 a month since charges of up to £1,200 to mount a claim before the employment tribunal came in.
The analysis shows that in the year (2012-13) before tribunal fees were introduced, 16,000 people per month, on average, took a claim against their employer to the employment tribunal. But in 2015-16, the average number of people taking claims had dropped to 7,000 a month.
This includes a drop of nearly three-quarters for unfair dismissal claims. There have also been sharp falls in challenges over sex discrimination (down by two-thirds), race discrimination (down by a half) and disability discrimination (down by a half).
The Ministry of Justice was due to publish a review on the impact of fees by the end of 2015. However, nearly a year on, nothing has happened. The TUC says the review must be published urgently and is calling on Theresa May and Phillip Hammond to abolish fees in this month’s Autumn Statement.
