Discipline And Grievance Procedure

Conference notes with concern the repealing in April of the Statutory Dispute and Dismissal Procedure and, along with it, the automatic unfair dismissal sanction should an employer fail to follow a fair procedure. The Government has been opportunistic in pretending to heed calls from all parties, employers and trade unions alike, for clearer laws on discipline in the workplace their response being that workers have even less protection and access to justice. Conference therefore calls on the EC to resist all attempts by the employers to alter the contractually binding discipline and grievance procedures detailed in the Grey Book Sixth Edition and attempts to replace it with the far inferior new ACAS guidance. Conference also calls upon the EC to make every effort via the TUC, Parliament and any other appropriate body to campaign for the re-introduction of some form of automatic sanction should an employer not follow a just and lawful procedure that is accessible to all workers.