The government's Resolving Workplace Disputes consultation, aimed at saving taxpayer money through reform, closed yesterday (20 April) and responses are now being collated.

Unite claimed that the government was making it more difficult for employees to "seek redress for workplace disputes".

Unite argued that the proposals, which include doubling the qualifying period for an unfair dismissal claim from one year to two and having judges sit alone at tribunals rather than a three person panel, are based on "a number of myths", with no evidence to suggest that they will address the labour market concerns of employers or contribute to the economic recovery of the country.

Assistant general secretary Tony Burke said: "The government must be careful. It cannot play with the fundamental principle of access to justice simply to appease the CBI which has been lobbying for exactly these changes very openly.’

"It is tough enough for UK workers, who have the poorest workplace protections compared to their European counterparts, without the government fabricating evidence in order to do the dirty work of a powerful business interest group."

He added that there was in fact no need for the consultation at all, as the employment tribunal system does not need "substantial or urgent change".

One of the intentions of the consultation is to cut the number of employment claims made each year. But, according to the union, the number of claims received should be seen in the context of the number of employed people in the UK, which it believes is less than 1% of the working population.

It also rejected judges sitting alone and pushed for early formal agreements between workforce and employer.