Today the Supreme Court has ruled that fees for workers bringing employment tribunal claims are unlawful and discriminatory.

Commenting on today’s ruling, Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX) Legal Director, Claire Falconer said: “This is an important turning point for workers in the UK. Employment rights are only as good as the ability to enforce them, and for many workers tribunal fees have acted as a major barrier to accessing their rights.

“FLEX has found that many of the UK’s most vulnerable workers have not been able to bring their cases to Employment Tribunals because of prohibitive fees. This has meant that unscrupulous employers are able to act with impunity, and has left many in situations of abuse or exploitation.

“If the government truly wishes to tackle the root causes of modern slavery, then it must ensure all workers are able to enforce their rights and access justice for labour abuses.”

Notes to editors:

– FLEX works to end human trafficking for labour exploitation. www.labourexploitation.org

ENDS