Employment Tribunal claims quintuple

More than 8,500 additional cases were lodged in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, leading to claims the system is being overwhelmed by the influx.

Since the abolition of the fee regime, single claims have risen from 712 to 3,658 – an increase of 400 per cent, The Herald reports.

Peter Hunter, of Unison Scotland, said: “The rise in tribunal cases is evidence of the importance of Unison’s historic win over the Tory government.

“Work can be unfair and workers need free access to justice. On top of that, most of the additional cases in Scotland are equal pay and we are right down the middle of that, rooting out discrimination.

“The rise in equal pay cases is particularly appropriate since it was equal pay in Dumfries & Galloway that the Supreme Court used as an example of how free access to justice for one worker seeking pay equality brings benefit for many thousands.

“The judges were right in their analysis back in 2017 and this data shows how big landmark cases reverberate in workplaces across the entire country.”

Brian Mclaughlin, an employment lawyer with Unionline Scotland, said: “This is a significant increase which is obviously welcomed by Unionline Scotland and the GMB and CWU trade unions.

“These fees were a barrier to justice which created a significant problem for unfairly treated employees for the best part of four years.”

An HM Courts and Tribunals spokesperson said: “We are recruiting more tribunal judges and are improving ways of working to deal with the cases.”