Page 3 - Journal dec2017

Success Over Tribunal Fees

After a long legal battle, the public service union Insight
Unison has won a landmark court victory against the
government, which means that employment tribunal
Jane Loftus
fees have been scrapped.
CWU National
The supreme court—the UK’s highest court—
President &
unanimously ruled a few months ago that the
Postal Constituency
government had been acting unlawfully and
unconstitutionally when it introduced the fees four Chair.

years ago which meant that workers had to pay fees

of up to £1,200 to log an employment tribunal claim. In the early stages of your life, which figure/s
stand out as an important influence for you?
The ruling also means that the government will
Both my father and mother have been strong
need to refund more than £27 million to the
influences in my life. My dad was a trade unionist
thousands of people, and trade unions, which were and this influenced me strongly when I started work.
charged the fees since 2013. He always insisted you went to your union meetings
Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison said: “The and that attending would give you the right to have a
say in your union. Also, he had a long period of
government is not above the law. But when minsters
unemployment, like millions of others, during the
introduced fees they were disregarding laws many 1980’s in Liverpool which impacted on our family.
centuries old, and showing little concern for My mum always worked and it was her wages and
employees seeking justice following illegal treatment strength that got us all through this period when my
brother, as well as my dad, were on the dole. Sadly,
at work.”
my mum passed away 20 years ago and my dad 5
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady described years later. I can still hear their advice now and
the supreme court ruling a “massive win for working know they would have been proud of us all.

people”, saying: “Too many low-paid workers couldn’t If you could visit any time in history for 24 hours,
afford to uphold their rights at work, even when what would you choose? This may be a surprise
they’ve faced harassment or have been sacked to many but I couldn’t pick a political time because
there are too many, and no single one time, above
unfairly.”
another, stands out for me. So I’ve gone for football
Frances O’Grady added: “Tribunal fees have been a history and Liverpool’s UEFA 2005 win in Istanbul. I
bonanza for bad bosses, giving them free rein to have always supported Liverpool and as a child I
mistreat staff.” would watch them at their training ground and sit in
the barber’s at the top of my road listening to Bill
As a result of the ruling, the CWU has now set
Shankly.
about the task of seeking to recover fees it has paid,
If you could pass one law, what would it be? A
as the union had, since the introduction of tribunal
law that introduced a decent standing of living that
fees, been meeting these costs on behalf of members. includes a home, food, utilities, childcare, welfare,
Enforcing The National Minimum Wage education and decent jobs for all.

The TUC has produced a useful and practical guide What has been the highlight of your career so
far? I’ve had so many, winning motions in my union
aimed at assisting low-paid workers secure their
branch, on occasions overturning the leadership
rights on the national minimum wage.
with the members’ support, standing united on
Whilst the TUC have made clear that being in a picket lines, getting elected to delegations against
trade union is the best protection for any worker in the odds, the rank and file newspaper Post Worker,
ensuring that all rights and entitlements at work are getting elected to the Postal Executive and then
being elected as the first ever woman chair of the
secured. The guide has been drawn up for those who
Postal Constituency. I’ve spoken on great platforms
are not union members. The TUC guide can be found over many years in particular fighting Racism and
at: www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issuese/employment- Fascism. I’ve spoken at the Durham Miners Gala but
rights/your-rights-work/enforcing-national- the highlight of my career is continuing to make a
minimum-wage-practical-guide difference whenever and wherever I can.

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