Details
of employment tribunal cases are to be kept secret after complaints from unions
that the public register detailing applications is being misused.
The
Financial Times reports that the Government has decided that the details of
claims and responses should no longer be recorded, but judgments will continue
to be disclosed.
Unions
argue that the register is being used by lawyers to chase business and by
employers to ‘blackball’ workers they feel are chasing compensation.
The
decision comes after a review of tribunal regulations aimed at simplifying the
system that has seen a huge rise in cases. The latest figures show there was a
17 per cent increase in applications to tribunals last year.
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The
new regulations will come into effect from October.