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The consequences of putting a price on justice

Posted by Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston, at 09:04, Fri 2 August 2013:

New fees apply from this week if you need to take a case to an employment tribunal.

If you suffer race discrimination at work, or your employer refuses to adapt your working environment so you can do your job if you’re disabled, or if you’re sacked because your employer decides you’re too old, or if you’re a mum who’s treated unfairly at work because of your responsibilities for your children, you’ll now have to pay up to £1200 to challenge your boss’s unfair and discriminatory treatment of you.

Putting a price on justice in this way means many low-paid employees will have no practical right to redress if something goes wrong at work.

The government has also abolished a procedure that meant that before you decided whether to go ahead with a case, you could require your employer to disclose information to you.

That was good for employers as well as employees, as it meant many weak cases were abandoned, or matters resolved amicably, without having to go to court.

The government said it was red tape.

This week, I hosted a roundtable to discuss the implications of the changes for pregnant women at work. They’re set to be hit particularly hard by the new rules.

Research published by law firm Slater and Gordon earlier this year showed pregnancy discrimination at work remains a huge problem.

Women reported being made redundant while on maternity leave, being forced to accept a demotion if they returned to work, and problems for them or their partners in getting time off for ante natal appointments.

Government minister Helen Grant said if the introduction of fees for employment tribunals disadvantaged women, she would think again.

But many women don’t know that they can even report discrimination at work, or their employers force them to settle the case on a confidential basis.

The government doesn’t even bother to collect statistics on pregnancy discrimination.

So how on earth will Helen Grant know the effect on women?

I want to see stronger rights for pregnant women at work, and for new mums and their partners.

I want the government to monitor pregnancy discrimination properly, so that appropriate action can be taken.

At the roundtable I hosted, we also discussed the support needed from the NHS for pregnant women and new parents.

We’re suffering from a shortage of midwives in the NHS, and women aren’t able to get the care they want.

Vulnerable women – young mothers, asylum seeking women, or those with learning difficulties, for example, risk receiving the poorest care.

There was a lot of concern at private companies coming onto maternity wards, and hard-selling their products to new parents.

Mothers strongly objected to this.

And there was a plea for better facilities for dads to stay overnight at the maternity ward to be with their partner and new baby.

I’ll be working on ideas for how we can offer better support to new parents when parliament returns in the autumn. In the meantime, if you’re a new parent, or expecting a baby, and have ideas or views you’d like me to consider, I’d love to hear from you.

Getting our children off to the best possible start in life is so important to everyone.

And giving the right support to new parents is the very best way we can do that.

Kate Green

Labour Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston

Shadow Spokesperson for Equalities