FRU says ET fees would restrict access to justice

FRU has made a submission to the government consultation on whether to reintroduce fees for applications to the Employment Tribunal (ET) or Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT). The consultation proposes a £55 fee for applications to both tribunals.

We argue strongly that the introduction of these fees is not in the interests of access to justice.

In the FRU submission Legal Officer Daniel Hallstrom said " FRU’s view is that the £55 ET claim and EAT appeal issue fees represent the worst of all possible worlds. The fees will disproportionately impact those currently least able to access employment justice, likely entrenching poor working conditions for the low-paid and for migrant workers. A decent labour market and a respectful workplace culture free from prejudice and discrimination are universal public goods which benefit us all. At present, those public goods are secured at modest cost to the Treasury by a freely-accessible ET system: something which should rightly be a source of considerable pride for the UK. The case for shifting the cost of that system, in whole or in part, to workers alone is, from FRU’s perspective, a weak one at best."

FRU also contributed to two other submissions to this consultation, which we regard as particularly important for our clients.

Read more here.