Britain: An official handbook > 1977

EMPLOYMENT
343
Central
Arbitration
Committee
Labour
Relations of
Public
Authorities
Central and Local
Government
safeguard negotiating procedures, ACAS may appoint single arbitrators or
boards of arbitration to determine differences on the basis of agreed terms of
reference. Alternatively ACAS may refer cases for arbitration to the Central
Arbitration Committee. Some 300 joint requests for such references were made
to ACAS during 1975.
Although ACAS has prime responsibility for intervention in disputes, the
Secretary of State retains powers to appoint a court of inquiry or committee of
investigation into a dispute, whether existing or foreseen.
The service gives advice on all aspects of industrial relations and personnel
management. It conducts surveys to diagnose the causes of industrial relations
problems and suggests remedial action to management and trade unions or
employee representatives. It also carries particular responsibility for attempting
conciliation on complaints of infringement of individual employee rights (such
as individual complaints of unfair dismissal, complaints under the Equal Pay
Act 1970 and complaints on employment matters under the Sex Discrimination
Act 1975).
The service is concerned with the long-term improvement of collective
bargaining and, with the consent of the parties involved, conducts detailed
inquiries in particular firms or industries. It also considers claims by in¬
dependent trade unions that they should be recognised by an employer.
The Central Arbitration Committee has replaced the former Industrial
Arbitration Board as the permanent industrial arbitration body able to resolve
differences arising in disputes where other means have failed.
The committee is called upon to arbitrate on claims made under various Acts,
including the Equal Pay Act 1970 and the Employment Protection Act 1975.
It also arbitrates on industrial disputes referred to it by ACAS.
While industrial relations in government service and in the nationalised indus¬
tries are, in general, organised on the same principles as in private industry,
there are some special features.
Non-industrial employees in central Government service, where salaries and
conditions of service are dealt with by the Civil Service Department are
permitted and encouraged to join the appropriate Civil Service associations
and there is a highly developed system of negotiation and joint consultation by
means of the National and Departmental Whitley Councils (see p. 63). If there
is failure to reach agreement by negotiation a department or association may,
subject to certain limitations, report the dispute to the Secretary of State for
reference to the Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal, an independent body
appointed by the Secretary of State by powers under the Industrial Courts Act
1919. Government industrial employees are similarly encouraged to belong to
trade unions and machinery exists for joint consultation. There are four Trades
Joint Councils on which representatives of the Government and the trade
unions sit to consider pay and conditions of employment affecting individual
grades and certain other limited matters. A Joint Co-ordinating Committee, on
which the Government and Trades Joint Councils are represented, deals with
national pay negotiations, conditions of service and other matters of general
application. In the main employing departments there are departmental joint
councils for the discussion of domestic matters. Disputes on wages or condi¬
tions of employment that cannot be resolved by the existing machinery can be
referred to the Central Arbitration Committee.