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TUC warns over employment plans

TUC warns over employment plans
20 April 2011



Plans to extend the qualifying period for protection against unfairdismissal will affect the rights of millions of employees, a union haswarned.

Youngpeople, ethnic minorities and part-time women workers would be mostaffected by the plans to remove unfair dismissal rights from staff withless than two years’ service, according to the TUC.

The unionhas also attacked plans to introduce fees for employees taking a claimto a tribunal, saying it would have a disproportionate effect onlow-paid workers.

Plans to extend the qualifying period for protection against unfair dismissal will affect the rights of millions of employees, a union has warned.

Young people, ethnic minorities and part-time women workers would be most affected by the plans to remove unfair dismissal rights from staff with less than two years’ service, according to the TUC.

The union has also attacked plans to introduce fees for employees taking a claim to a tribunal, saying it would have a disproportionate effect on low-paid workers.

In its submission to the government, the TUC said cases could be speeded up by giving more resources to the tribunal system, improving the enforcement of multiple pay claims and extending a pre-claim conciliation service offered by Acas.

TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, said: “While everyone wants to see a quicker and more efficient tribunal system, taking away people’s rights and pricing vulnerable workers out of the system is the worst possible way to achieve this.

“The proposals to restrict protection against unfair dismissal will not only hit young people and female part-time employees the hardest, but will also open the door to more discrimination claims, creating confusion for staff and employers alike.”

Copyright © Press Association 2011

TUC

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