Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978

77 Interim relief pending determination of complaint of unfair dismissal. E+W+S

[F1 (1) An employee who presents a complaint to an industrial tribunal under section 67 alleging that the dismissal is to be regarded as unfair by virtue of section 58 may apply to the tribunal for an order under the following provisions of this section.]

(2) An industrial tribunal shall not entertain an application under this section unless—

(a) it is presented to the tribunal before the end of the period of seven days immediately following the effective date of termination (whether before, on or after that date); and

(b) [F2 in a case in which the employee relies on section 58(1)(a) or (b)] before the end of that period there is also so presented a certificate in writing signed by an authorised official of the independent trade union of which the employee was or had proposed to become a member stating that on the date of the dismissal the employee was or had proposed to become a member of the union and that there appear to be reasonable grounds for supposing that the reason for his dismissal (or, if more than one, the principal reason) was one alleged in the complaint.

(3) An industrial tribunal shall determine an application under this section as soon as practicable after receiving the application and [F3 (where appropriate)] the relevant certificate, but shall [F4 give at the appropriate time—

(a) to the employer; and

(b) in the case of a section 76A request made at least three days before the date of the hearing, to the person to whom the request relates;

a copy of the application and certificate (if any) together with notice of the date, time and place of the hearing.

(3A) In subsection (3)—

• “appropriate time” means—

  (a)

  in relation to paragraph (a), not later than seven days before the date of the hearing;

  (b)

  in relation to paragraph (b), as soon as reasonably practicable; and

  • “section 76A request” means a request made under section 76A(1) for the tribunal to direct a person to be joined or sisted as a party to the proceedings]

(4) An industrial tribunal shall not exercise any power it has of postponing the hearing in the case of an application under this section except where the tribunal is satisfied that special circumstances exist which justify it in doing so.

(5) If on hearing an application under this section it appears to an industrial tribunal that it is likely that on determining the complaint to which the application relates the tribunal will find that the complainant [F5 is by virtue of section 58 to be regarded as having been unfairly dismissed], the tribunal shall announce its findings and explain to both parties (if present) what powers the tribunal may exercise on an application under this section and in what circumstances it may exercise them, and shall ask the employer (if present) whether he is willing, pending the determination or settlement of the complaint—

(a) to reinstate the employee, that is to say, to treat the employee in all respects as if he had not been dismissed; or

(b) if not, to re-engage him in another job on terms and conditions not less favourable than those which would have been applicable to him if he had not been dismissed.

(6) In subsection (5) “terms and conditions not less favourable than those which would have been applicable to him if he had not been dismissed” means, as regards seniority, pension rights and other similar rights, that the period prior to the dismissal shall be regarded as continuous with his employment following the dismissal.

(7) If the employer states that he is willing to reinstate the employee, the tribunal shall make an order to that effect.

(8) If the employer states that he is willing to re-engage the employee in another job and specifies the terms and conditions on which he is willing to do so, the tribunal shall ask the employee whether he is willing to accept the job on those terms and conditions, and—

(a) if the employee is willing to accept the job on those terms and conditions, the tribunal shall make an order to that effect; and

(b) if the employee is unwilling to accept the job on those terms and conditions, then, if the tribunal is of the opinion that the refusal is reasonable, the tribunal shall make an order for the continuation of his contract of employment, but otherwise the tribunal shall make no order under this section.

(9) If, on the hearing of an application under this section, the employer fails to attend before the tribunal or he states that he is unwilling either to reinstate the employee or re-engage him as mentioned in subsection (5), the tribunal shall make an order for the continuation of the employee’s contract of employment.

(10) In this section—

• F6 “authorised official”, in relation to a trade union, means an official of the union authorised by the union to act for the purposes of this section;

and any reference to the date of dismissal is a reference—

(a) where the employee’s contract of employment was terminated by notice (whether given by his employer or by him), to the date on which the employer’s notice was given; and

(b) in any other case, to the effective date of termination.

(11) A document purporting to be an authorisation of an official by a trade union to act for the purposes of this section and to be signed on behalf of the union shall be taken to be such an authorisation unless the contrary is proved, and a document purporting to be a certificate signed by such an official shall be taken to be signed by him unless the contrary is proved.

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 77(1) substituted by Employment Act 1982 (c. 46, SIF 43:5), s. 8(1) with saving in S.I. 1982/1656, Sch. 2

F2 Words inserted by Employment Act 1982 (c. 46, SIF 43:5), Sch. 3 para. 24(1) with saving in S.I. 1982/1656, Sch. 2

F3 Words inserted by Employment Act 1982 (c. 46, SIF 43:5), Sch. 3 para. 24(2) with saving in S.I. 1982/1656, Sch. 2

F4 Words substituted by Employment Act 1982 (c. 46, SIF 43:5), s. 8(2) with saving in S.I. 1982/1656, Sch. 2

F5 Words substituted by Employment Act 1982 (c. 46, SIF 43:5), Sch. 3 para. 24(3) with saving in S.I. 1982/1656, Sch. 2

F6 Definition of “appropriate time" repealed by Employment Act 1982 (c. 46, SIF 43:5), Sch. 4 with saving in SIF 1982/1656, Sch. 2