NextFin news, On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, UK Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy announced that workers will not be charged fees to bring claims to employment tribunals. This decision comes after significant opposition from trade unions and concerns that fees would prevent low-income workers from accessing justice.
Lammy emphasized that "everyone, no matter their income, should be able to get access to justice to challenge unfair behaviour at work," underscoring the government's commitment to maintaining free access to employment tribunals. He stated that this principle is fundamental to Labour's plan to make work pay.
The announcement followed warnings from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Paul Nowak, who described the proposed tribunal fees as a "gift for bad bosses" that would price out low-paid workers. Nowak also highlighted that the administrative costs of implementing such fees would likely exceed any revenue generated.
Proposals to introduce tribunal fees were reportedly being considered as part of efforts to reduce the Ministry of Justice's budget deficit by recovering some of the costs of running the tribunal service. However, these plans faced backlash from unions and worker advocacy groups.
Employment tribunal claims were free until 2013, when the coalition government led by Lord David Cameron introduced fees of up to £1,200 in some cases to cut costs. These fees were abolished in 2017 after the UK Supreme Court ruled them unlawful, citing that they restricted access to justice.
Trade unions welcomed Lammy's statement. Ross Holden, head of research and policy at the GMB union, said, "Forcing workers to pay would give bad bosses carte blanche to fly in the face of what’s right. It’s a relief to hear the Secretary of State promise this won’t happen on his watch." Nowak described the commitment as "important" for protecting workers' rights.
The decision ensures that workers across the UK will continue to have free access to employment tribunals to challenge unfair treatment, discrimination, or other workplace disputes without the barrier of upfront fees.
Explore more exclusive insights at nextfin.ai.
