NEWS IN BRIEF

Employment tribunals accepted just over 151,000 claims in 2008/09, a decrease of 20 per cent on the year before, according to the latest figures by the Tribunal Service.

However, when the number of multiple claims by airline cabin crew employees (which were resubmitted a number of times during the year) is excluded, there was a decrease of only four per cent in accepted claims between 2007/8 and 2008/9.

Not surprisingly, perhaps, unfair dismissal claims have rocketed with 52,711 accepted between April 2008 and March 2009, compared to 40,941 the year before. Likewise, redundancy pay claims increased from 7,313 last year to 10,839 this year and cases for redundancy (failure to inform and consult) more than doubled from 4,480 to 11,371 this year.

Equal pay claims fell by more than a quarter to 45,748 for 2008-09 from 62,706 the previous year. Working Time Directive cases also plummeted from 55,712 in 2007/8 to 23,976 the previous year. Sex discrimination cases dropped significantly from 26,907 in 2007/8 to 18,637 this year.

In terms of compensation awarded, the average award for discrimination claims was as follows:

Race - £32,115
Disability - £27,235
Sexual orientation - £23,668
Sex - £11,025
Religion and belief - £10,616
Age - £8,869

To read the whole report, go to: http://www.tribunals.gov.uk