CLAIMS made to industrial tribunals are on the increase.

ACAS, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, says the number of days lost through industrial action was at an all-time low in 1997.

But at the same time, there was a 16 per cent increase in North-west claims to industrial tribunals and a 12.7 per cent increase in requests for collective dispute conciliation.

The ACAS Annual Report claims 16,876 claims on individual rights issues were received during 1997 - more than double the figure for 1990.

Two out of every five claims alleged unfair dismissal. Other major subjects of contention included protection of wages and breach of contract, which together accounted for a further two out of five cases.

The number of discrimination cases continued at a relatively low level - 1,257 for sex discrimination, 253 for race discrimination and, in its first full year, 208 for disability discrimination.

A spokesman said ACAS NW had maintained its record of bringing almost 70 per cent of cases to a mutually acceptable conclusion.

NW Regional Director Paul Oliver said: "We have maintained an increasingly effective dispute resolution service to NW industries.

"But in 1998 we are placing increased emphasis on providing guidance on good practice and a joint working approach to resolving difficulties before they become significant problems."

The ACAS 1997 Annual Report is available free to callers at any ACAS office or by post for £1.00, tel: 01455 852225.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.