Conciliation service Acas dealt with 25% more employment tribunal claims last year, its annual report has revealed.
Acas was passed 203,184 tribunal claims for conciliation in 2007-08, up from 162,653 the previous year.
In addition, it resolved more than 51,000 actual and potential local authority equal pay claims, representing a further substantial saving to tribunal resources.
Other statistics in the report included:
- Acas conciliation succeeded in three out of four cases
- Four in five workplaces reported an improvement in employment relations following intervention by Acas advisers, compared to the 70% target that was set.
Acas chair Ed Sweeney said: “Acas has continued to play a central role in the employment relations arena not only in resolving disputes, but also in providing valuable advice and guidance to employers and employees.”
One of the high profile successes of the last year was the role Acas played behind the scenes in helping resolve the Royal Mail dispute alongside the TUC, preventing widespread disruption for UK businesses.
Acas is set to play a major role in the new dispute resolution system, following the Gibbons review and announcement that Acas will receive up to £37m extra funding over the next three years.
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