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Employment Tribunals - Workers Blackmailed to Drop Their Case

Tony Greenstein | 01.10.2002 22:36

New Labour's Employment Regulations 2001 introduced a costs regime to eliminate 'misconceived' applications by workers who are sacked. One recent case of ours shows how it is working in practice - employer's are blackmailing employees - take your case any further and you will be bankrupted.

Patricia Hewitt, New Labour's Trade & Industry Minister and an ex-employee of corrupt accountants Arthur Anderson, has been 'reforming' Employment Tribunals, determined to make workers who claim unfair dismissal etc. pay for their opponents costs if they lose. Below is the letter a young teacher received from her employer's solicitors. Prior to contacting us she was about to drop the case for fear of being landed in debt. This is the reality of New Labour's fawning after the employers, yet delegates to New Labour's conference applauded Blair's call for boldness - presumably there wasn't a single brain cell in action able to recall the defenstration of Employment Tribunals, the long-forgotten Corporate Killing Bill or any other mild reforms which Blair and New Labour have killed off.

What is more disgraceful than the fact that the fawners and creeps of New Labour don't have the guts to even heckle Blair is the silence of the TUC leadership over what has happened. Having made a token protest about PFI - whilst doing nothing in practice - they have patted themselves on the back and promised not to rock the boat.

The case which I mentioned is still ongoing, the solicitor for Brighton firm Aldrich, Crowther & Woods wrote to our client in these terms:
"...I am prepared to extend, on behalf of my client, an opportunity for you to withdraw your claim. If the claim is withdrawn my client will seek no contribution to costs incurred to date. If on the other hand you determine to proceed with the matter I put you on notice an application will be made at the conclusion of proceedings for an Order t hat you pay the costs incurred by the Respondent in resisting your application. The grounds upon which costs might be sought are contained within the Employment Tribunals Regulations 2001, specifically Regulation 14...

Tony Greenstein
- e-mail: brightonunemployedcentre2000@yahoo.co.uk