Tue, 12 Jun 2012

Business secretary Vince Cable and the government have set out plans aimed at facilitating the handling of workplace disputes.

The plans include the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, which Cable says is “an important part of this government’s plan for long-term growth: fostering enterprise, supporting business and creating jobs”.

Under the bill, employers will be able to offer settlement agreements before a formal dispute arises and will be legally protected from this offer being used as evidence in an unfair dismissal tribunal case.

It also involves improving the employment tribunal system, setting up the new Competition and Markets Authority and includes measures on directors’ pay.

Critics have suggested that such measures undermine employment rights, and while Cable does characterise them as “pro-business”, he says “crucially it does so in a way that keeps the necessary protections for employees in place”.