Plans to raise the small claims threshold for personal injury from
£1,000 to £5,000 would deny many thousands of workers injured
at work access to justice and legal compensation, forcing people
to go to no win, no fee companies, said UNISON, the UKÕs largest
union today.
Keith Sonnet, Deputy General Secretary of UNISON said at a
press conference with the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, at the
Houses of Parliament:
ÒWith the threat of legal action removed unscrupulous employers
would be allowed to get away with sloppy health and safety
practices. It would also mean that employees injured at work
would not necessarily get the compensation they deserved.Ó
In a survey* commissioned by UNISON, trust in trade union legal
services for members has been found to be at a record high. 90%
of members would put their trust in trade union legal services over
any other form of legal representation.
Keith Sonnet commented on the findings:
ÒIt is clear that good trade union legal services are the key to
ensuring that workers have fair access to justice. The report
shows that 71% of respondents say that high quality advice is their
priority for legal services. UNISON members are becoming
increasingly fed up with the poor service being offered by claims
companies and some high street lawyers. The case studies in the
report show the bad service, negligence and greed of these
companies.
ÒThis survey proves that trade union legal services are important to
everyone within the movement and without them many thousands
of cases would not make it to court.
ÒTrade union legal services are a fundamental underpinning of
trade union membership and offer working people high quality
advice and real access to justice.Ó
Ends
* Small Claims Ð Big Deal. A report into trade union legal services
Notes to Editors:
* 1000 Trade Union members who had been represented by
Trade Union legal services in a claim completed over the last year
were surveyed.
* The survey was carried out in response to the Better Regulation
Taskforce proposal to increase the Small Claims threshold for
personal injury from £1000 to £5000.
* 64% of respondents in the survey received awards of between
£2000 and £5000.
* 63% of respondents would either not have proceeded with their
case, or would not have felt confident about going before a judge
without legal representation.
* Only a third of respondents believed their case would have been
fairly dealt with if they hadnÕt had a trade union lawyer.
* 90%of respondents said they would trust specialist solicitors
appointed by a trade union, while less than 10 per cent said they
would trust claims companies or high street solicitors.
* Nearly 85% of respondents rated the service that they received
from trade union solicitors to be either good or very good.