Acas has criticised government proposals to remove some of its duties as
part of employment tribunal system reform.
The Government’s consultation paper, Routes to Resolution: Improving Dispute
Resolution in Britain, published by the DTI, proposes that Acas should not
conciliate in cases involving wage deductions, breach of contract and
redundancy payments.
Acas chairwoman Rita Donaghy said the proposals "would result in
thousands of extra cases going to a tribunal hearing".
She said, "We support the Government’s aim of helping and encouraging
employers and employees to resolve disputes in the workplace.
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"However, we feel the Government’s proposals to remove our duty to
conciliate in some cases is at odds with the overall aims of the
proposals."
Acas also urged the Government to provide more funding to allow it to expand
its role in promoting good practice. It wants an additional £3.5m to extend its
services to 40,000 organisations.
