Last week’s Queen’s speech contained a number of proposals outlining changes to employment regulations which, according to the government, will support economic growth and cut the “burden on business” by reducing so-called unnecessary legislation.
But, rather than give “employers more confidence to hire new staff’, Thompsons Solicitors says that the whole point of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill is to make it easier for employers to fire people.
Iain Birrell of Thompsons’ employment rights unit said: “The Enterprise Bill isn’t really about growth. If it were if would include action to make it easier for businesses to get loans from banks. Businesses cannot grow without investment. Cameron’s gimmicky Green Investment Bank, which is included in the Bill, to promote private sector investment in a greener economy won’t provide that.
“Similarly it doesn’t review the VAT hike that chokes consumer spending, address the massive pool of unemployed young workers whose education and skills are currently lost to business, or a multitude of genuine inhibitors in the economy”.
Although there was no specific reference to the introduction of fees in employment tribunals in the short speech (even the background briefing was short on detail), it is clear the government intends to go ahead with them.
Justice minister Jonathan Djanogly last week launched a paper setting out the government’s intentions to consult on introducing fees for tribunals “to give employees a financial stake in their own cases and to encourage users of the system to think more carefully about whether the tribunal provides the best way to resolve their dispute”.
Birrell responded: “Charging up to £1,750 just to lodge an ET claim isn’t benevolently giving employees a financial stake in their own cases, it’s a straightforward denial of access to justice and will hit hard against working people when they are at their most vulnerable.
“That is not going to promote growth, enterprise or the consumer confidence which is necessary to both.”
The Queen also announced the introduction of the Children and Families Bill in her speech. Among other things, this will allow mothers and fathers to swap parental leave following the birth of a child so that they can take the leave "in a way which best suits their needs."