Employment Law in the General Election

Employment solicitor, Alex Pearce, looks at what the various political parties are saying about employment tribunal fees and low pay in their election manifestos.

Employment Tribunal fees were introduced in both the employment tribunals and the EAT on 29 July 2013. The issue fee payable by a single claimant is either £160 or £250 and a hearing fee payable by a single claimant is either £230 or £950, dependant upon the claim.  Most of the major parties have included employment tribunals in their manifestos. Here is a quick summary below:

Labour

Labour would abolish the employment tribunal fees system.

Conservative

After making the latest changes to fees in 2013, they will make no change to the current system.

Liberal Democrats

Shall review fees to ensure they are not a barrier to justice.

Green Party

They plan to reduce employment tribunal fees to make them accessible to workers.

UKIP

Their manifesto is silent on employment tribunal fees.

With the economy continuing to show signs of recovery, the main political parties have turned their minds to pay and have made the following statements:

Labour

The National Minimum Wage will increase to £8 per hour by October 2019. There will be increased fines for employers who fail to pay the minimum wage. Listed companies will be obliged to report on whether or not they are paying the living wage.

Conservative

They strongly support the National Minimum Wage and want to see further real-terms increases in the next Parliament.

Liberal Democrats

They believe there should be a single national minimum wage for 16 to 17-year-olds in work and first year of apprentices and will ask the Low Pay Commission to look at ways of raising the National Minimum Wage, without damaging employment.

UKIP

They want to enforce the minimum wage and reverse the Government cuts in the number of minimum wage inspectors in both England and Wales.

Green Party

They want to increase the minimum wage so that it is a living wage.


Pinney Talfourd Solicitors regularly advise employers on contracts and their workers rights. We both defend and bring claims at Employment Tribunal.

Contact our Employment Law Department for more information on any employment issues arising out of the General Election. 

This article was written by Alex Pearce, Associate Solicitor in the Employment Department at Pinney Talfourd Solicitors. This article is only intended to provide a general summary and does not constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should be taken on each individual matter. This article is based on the law as at May 2015.