Cable admits tribunal fees were a bad idea and slams Tories’ “aggressively anti-worker, anti-union agenda”

Business Secretary Vince Cable has admitted that charging tribunal fees was a bad idea.

Under the Coalition government, which Cable as a leading Lib Dem has been a part, fees of up to £1,200 were introduced for workers wanting to take their cases to employment tribunals. Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, advocated for the fees and Cable agreed to them only if their impact was assessed a year later.

Cable however said Grayling refused to carrying out a review, a move he described as “an act of remarkable bad faith.” The senior Lib Dem ordered a review himself and found that employment tribunal claims fell by almost 70% . He also said sex discrimination claims were down 82%  and the number of equal pay cases dropped by 72% over the same period.

In an interview with the Independent, Cable said that on tribunal fees:

“There is enough evidence to suggest that this was a very bad move and should be reversed. It is highly suggestive that the fees are discouraging people – particularly low paid women—from pursuing their rights.”

He said this was one example of the Tories’ “an aggressively anti-worker, anti-union agenda”.

Cable said that the Conservatives have “an unfinished agenda. There is a very nasty streak” , while also saying “they are not all nasty as individuals. I have worked with them for five years. Some of them are perfectly decent, moderate people.”

But despite this caveat, Cable’s comments can hardly be read as positive for the Tories…