BOLTON and Bury Chamber is applauding Government moves to tackle the rise in employment tribunal applications.

These involve measures to ensure that employees follow internal grievance procedures before taking an employer to tribunal.

The reforms, published in the new Employment Bill, mark a huge win for the national Chamber movement, which led the campaign for a review of the tribunals process in response to growing criticism from business.

Business leaders said the previous system stifled competitiveness, inflicted spiralling financial costs and gave employees nothing to lose as many of their representatives were working on a no-win, no-fee basis.

Kay Gregson, director of customer services for Bolton and Bury Chamber, said: "We are pleased that the Government has responded positively to the pressure from the Chambers of Commerce for employees to be required to use internal resolution procedures and that tribunals can refuse to hear cases where this process has not been followed.

"These proposals will ensure a fairer tribunal system for both employers and employees and help cut back on the rising number of tribunal cases that have been witnessed in recent years.

"We urge small employers to adopt new procedures, as it is they who often lose unfair dismissal cases because they have no procedures in place."

Businesses will now be able to help themselves, by ensuring that they follow good practice in their employment relations.