16.The Act:
leaves intact the statutory regime for disciplinary and dismissal situations whilst moving to a less legalistic framework for the raising of workplace grievances involving voluntary compliance with the appropriate Labour Relations Agency Code of Practice;
repeals provisions linking grievance and disciplinary/dismissal processes with industrial tribunal and Fair Employment Tribunal time limits;
enables the Labour Relations Agency to exercise greater discretion in offering its assistance to resolve disputes and repeals time restrictions on the period of Labour Relations Agency conciliation;
amends industrial tribunals’ powers to reach a determination without a hearing;
modifies industrial tribunals’ powers to restrict publicity;
provides that tribunal awards, once registered, are enforceable without the need to obtain a court order, and makes similar provision in relation to conciliated settlements reached with the assistance of the Labour Relations Agency;
enables the Fair Employment Tribunal to hear aspects of fair employment cases that would previously have necessitated a separate industrial tribunal hearing;
introduces the legislative framework for a right to request time to train.