The Industrial Tribunals (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

Conciliation N.I.

20.—(1) This Article applies in the case of industrial tribunal proceedings and claims which could be the subject of industrial tribunal proceedings—

(a) under—

(i) section 2(1) of the [1970 c. 32 (N.I.).] Equal Pay Act (Northern Ireland) 1970,

(ii) Article 63 of the [1976 NI 15.] Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, or

(iii) [F1 section 17A or 25(8)] of the [1995 c. 50.] Disability Discrimination Act 1995;F2 . . .

[F3 (iv)] [F3 Article 52 of the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997;][F3 [F2 or]]

[F2 (v) regulation 34 of the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003.]

(b) arising out of a contravention, or alleged contravention, of Article 31, 35[F4 , 38 or 60] of the [1995 NI 12.] Trade Union and Labour Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;

(c) [F5 under, or] arising out of a contravention, or alleged contravention, of any of the following provisions of the Employment Rights Order—

(i) Article 26 or 27 (access to employment);

(ii) Article 40 (itemised pay statement);

(iii) Article 45,47,50(1) or 53(1) (protection of wages);

(iv) Article 60 (guarantee payments);

(v) Part VI (protection from detriment, etc. in employment);

(vi) Part VII (time off work);

(vii) Part VIII (suspension from work);

[F5 (viia) Article 112G(1) or 112H(1)(b) (flexible working);]

(viii) Article 124 (written statement of reasons for dismissal);

(ix) Part XI (unfair dismissal);

[F4 (ixa) Article 170 (redundancy payment);]

(x) Article 216 or 218 (handling of redundancies and protective awards);

[F6 Article 112(1) of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996]

[F7 (cc)] [F7 under or by virtue of section 11, 18, 20(1)(b) or 24 of the National Minumum Wage Act 1998;]

(d) which are proceedings in respect of which an industrial tribunal has jurisdiction by virtue of Article 5,F8 . . .

(e) [F5 under, or] arising out of a contravention, or alleged contravention, of a provision specified by an order under paragraph (8)(b) as a provision to which this paragraph appliesF9 . . .

[F8 (f) under regulation 30 of the Working Time Regulation (Northern Ireland) 1998F10 . . . ]

[F9 (g) under regulation 27 or 32 of the Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 1999F11 . . . ]

[F10 (h) arising out of a contravention, or alleged contravention,[F12 of paragraph (1) of regulation 5 or paragraph (2) of regulation 7] of the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000.[F11 or]]

[F11 (i) arising out of a contravention, or alleged contravention, of regulation 3 or 6(2) of the Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002; or

(j) under regulation 9 of those Regulations.]

[F13 (k) under regulation 18 of the Merchant Shipping (Working Time: Inland Waterways) Regulations 2003]

[F14 (l) under regulation 19 of the Fishing Vessels (Working Time: Sea-fishermen) Regulations 2004.F15 . . . ]

[F16 (m)] [F16 under regulation 41 or 45 of the European Public Limited-Liability Company Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004.]F17 . . .

[F15 (n) under regulation 29 or 33 of the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005.]

[F18 , or

(o) under paragraph 4 or 8 of the Schedule to the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Consultation by Employers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006.]

(2) Where an application has been presented to an industrial tribunal, and a copy of it has been sent to the Agency, it is the duty of the Agency—

(a) if it is requested to do so by the person by whom and the person against whom the proceedings are brought, or

(b) if, in the absence of any such request, the Agency considers that it could act under this paragraph with a reasonable prospect of success,

to endeavour to promote a settlement of the complaint without its being determined by an industrial tribunal.

[F19 (2A) Where industrial tribunal procedure regulations include provision postponing the fixing of a time and place for a hearing for the purpose of giving an opportunity for the proceedings to be settled by way of conciliation and withdrawn, paragraph (2) shall have effect from the end of the postponement to confer a power on the Agency, instead of imposing a duty.]

(3) Where at any time—

(a) a person claims that action has been taken in respect of which proceedings could be brought by him before an industrial tribunal, but

(b) before any application relating to that action has been presented by him a request is made to the Agency (whether by that person or by the person against whom the proceedings could be instituted) to make its services available to them,

the Agency shall act in accordance with paragraph (2) as if an application had been presented to an industrial tribunal.

(4) Where a person who has presented a complaint to an industrial tribunal under Article 145 of the Employment Rights Order (unfair dismissal) has ceased to be employed by the employer against whom the complaint was made, the Agency shall (for the purpose of promoting a settlement of the complaint in accordance with paragraph (2)) in particular—

(a) seek to promote the reinstatement or re-engagement of the complainant by the employer, or by a successor of the employer or by an associated employer, on terms appearing to the Agency to be equitable, and

(b) where the complainant does not wish to be reinstated or re-engaged, or where reinstatement or re-engagement is not practicable, and the parties desire the Agency to act, seek to promote agreement between them as to a sum by way of compensation to be paid by the employer to the complainant.

(5) Where at any time—

(a) a person claims that action has been taken in respect of which a complaint could be presented by him to an industrial tribunal under Article 145 of the Employment Rights Order (unfair dismissal), but

(b) before any complaint relating to that action has been presented by him a request is made to the Agency (whether by that person or by the employer) to make its services available to them,

the Agency shall act in accordance with paragraph (4) as if a complaint had been presented to an industrial tribunal under that Article.

(6) In proceeding under this Article the Agency shall, where appropriate, have regard to the desirability of encouraging the use of other procedures available for the settlement of grievances.

(7) Anything communicated to the Agency in connection with the performance of its functions under this Article shall not be admissible in evidence in any proceedings before an industrial tribunal, except with the consent of the person who communicated it to the Agency.

(8) The Department may by order—

(a) direct that further provisions of the Employment Rights Order be added to the list in paragraph (1)(c),

(b) specify any other statutory provision as a provision to which paragraph (1)(e) applies.

(9) This Article does not apply in respect of any period during which, by virtue of Article 11(5), an industrial tribunal may not proceed under the Employment Rights Order.

F1 SR 2004/55

F2 SR 2003/497

F3 1997 NI 6

F4 1998 NI 8

F5 2002 NI 2

F6 SR 2001/37

F7 1998 c. 39

F8 SR 1998/386

F9 SI 1999/3323

F10 SR 2000/219

F11 SR 2002/298

F12 SR 2001/319

F13 SI 2003/3049

F14 SI 2004/1713

F15 SR 2005/47

F16 SR 2004/417

F17 Word in art. 20(1)(m) omitted (6.4.2006) by virtue of S.R. 2006/48, reg. 17, Sch. para. 9(a)

F18 Art. 20(1)(o) and preceding word inserted (6.4.2006) by S.R. 2006/48, reg. 17, Sch. para. 9(b)

F19 2003 NI 15

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Art. 20 applied (6.4.2006 with application as mentioned in reg. 21(1) of the affecting Regulations) by S.I. 2006/246, regs. 12(7), 16(1), Sch. 1 para. 10(3)(4)

Art. 20 applied (6.4.2006 with application as mentioned in reg. 21(1)(2) of the affecting Regulations) by S.R. 2006/177, regs. 12(7), 16(1)