Employers win disputes law relief
10:54 23 Jan 2004
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Engineering construction contractors have secured an important industry exemption from the Government's planned new legislation introducing a mandatory 3-stage workplace procedure for resolving employment disputes.
The legislative proposals were first published last summer. They were sparked by the huge increase in the number of disputes going to Employment Tribunals rather than being dealt with initially at company level.
But the Engineering Construction Industry Association warned that a general application of the proposed new mandatory approach could undermine existing, agreed industry-based disputes procedures.
The Government has now conceded this point. In a response from the DTI to the consultative process initiated last year, it says where joint industry disputes procedures are in place there will be an exemption from the legislation.
A spokesman for the Construction Confederation said the building and civil engineering employers were examining the latest proposals in detail before commenting on their implications for the main sectors of the industry.
The new disputes resolution law is set to be introduced next October.
In the meantime, all employers have been warned to be prepared for other far reaching changes in employment law which will take effect in the near future. For example:
* the European Commission has now launched a consultative procedure which may bring an early end to the UK opt-out from the 48-hour week. Responses are due by 31 March;
* by 2005 all companies with 150 staff or more will become subject to the new information and consultation regulations requiring them to consult with elected worker representatives on a variety of issues relating to employment and economic matters;
* by 2006 discrimination on grounds of age will be outlawed and the information and consultation requirements will be extended to companies with 100 staff or more;
* by 2007 all companies with 50 staff or more will be subject to the consultation regime.