WIREDGOV

Today, the Central Arbitration Committee has published its Annual Report for 2008-09

Sir Michael Burton, the Chairman of the Central Arbitration Committee, reviewed the year by saying:

“Although applications to the CAC have fallen in 2008-09, the CAC continues to aim for the highest quality service it can provide to help employers, employees and their representatives resolve disputes, and has had had its usual share of testing assignments, including the rare experience in dealing with an application for derecognition and a complaint under the European Works Council legislation.”

Statutory recognition continues to provide the bulk of the CAC’s workload and the report contains statistical and descriptive information about all the CAC’s jurisdictions.

An on-going survey of customers’ views of CAC services indicated that there is a high level of customer satisfaction, with 96% of returned comments expressing satisfaction.

Notes for Editors:

1. The CAC is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) resourced by Acas but operating independently. The CAC’s main role is dealing with requests for trade union recognition and de-recognition under the statutory procedures of Schedule A1 to the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. Each recognition case is handled by a tripartite panel, with members drawn from employer and union backgrounds and a panel chairman (usually a lawyer or senior academic).

2. The CAC also determines disclosure of information complaints under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (Section 183) and deals with disputes under the Regulations relating to the European Works Councils, European Companies, European Cooperative Societies and Cross Border Mergers. From 6 April 2005, the CAC’s role under the Information and Consultation Regulations 2004 came into effect. In addition, it provides voluntary arbitration in collective employment relations disputes, although this role has not been required for some years.

3. The CAC Chairman is Sir Michael Burton, who is also a High Court Judge.

4. Details of applications received by the CAC, decisions taken, and forthcoming hearings, can be found on the CAC's website www.cac.gov.uk

Central Arbitration Committee
22nd Floor, Euston Tower,
286 Euston Road, London,
NW1 3JJ