Statutory Rule 1998 No. 130

      Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 1998


      © Crown Copyright 1998

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STATUTORY RULES OF NORTHERN IRELAND


1998 No. 130

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 1998

  Made 31st March 1998 
  Coming into operation 1st April 1998 

The Department of Economic Development, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Article 23(2), 63(7), 154(2), 158(2), 159(7), 231(2), 251(2) and (3) of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 and of every other power enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Order:

Citation and commencement
     1. This Order may be cited as the Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 1998 and shall come into operation on 1st April 1998.

Interpretation
    
2. In this Order - 

    "the 1995 Order" means the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1995[2].

Increase of limits
     3. Subject to Article 4, each of the limits described in the first and second columns of the Table in the Schedule is increased by the substitution, in place of the old amount specified in the third column of that Table, of the new amount specified in the fourth column of that Table.

Transitional provisions
    
4.  - (1) The increases provided for in Article 3 have effect in any case where the appropriate date falls on or after 1st April 1998.

    (2) In a case where the appropriate date falls before 1st April 1998, the limits having effect in relation to the case immediately before 1st April 1998 continue to apply.

    (3) In this Article, "the appropriate date" means - 

Revocation
    
5. The Employment Protection (Increase of Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 1995[3] is revoked.



Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Economic Development on

L.S.


G. I. O'Doherty
Assistant Secretary

31st March 1998.



SCHEDULE
Article 3


Table of Increase of Limits


Relevant Statutory Provision
Subject of Provision
Old Limit
New Limit
1. Article 23(1) of the 1996 Order

Maximum amount of a "week's pay" for the purpose of calculating basic or additional award of compensation for unfair dismissal or redundancy payment. £210 £220
2. Article 63(1) of the 1996 Order

Limit on amount of guarantee payment payable to an employee in respect of any day. £14.50 £15.35
3. Article 154(1) of the 1996 Order

Minimum amount of basic award of compensation where dismissal is unfair by virtue of Article 132(1)(a) and (b), 133(1), 134 or 136(1). £2,770 £2,900
4. Article 159(1) of the 1996 Order

Minimum amount of special award of compensation where dismissal is unfair by virtue of Article 132(1)(a) and (b), 133(1), 134 or 136(1). £13,775 £14,500
5. Article 159(1) of the 1996 Order

Maximum amount of special award of compensation where dismissal is unfair by virtue of Article 132(1)(a) and (b), 133(1), 134 or 136(1). £27,500 £29,000
6. Article 159(2) of the 1996 Order

Minimum amount of special award of compensation where employer fails to comply with order for reinstatement or re-engagement. £20,600 £21,800
7. Article 158(1) of the 1996 Order

Limit on amount of compensation awarded under Article 151(1) and (2) of the 1996 Order or of compensatory award calculated in accordance with Article 157 of that Order. £11,300 £12,000
8. Article 231(1) of the 1996 Order

Limit on amount in respect of any one week payable to an employee in respect of debt to which Part XIV of the 1996 Order applies and which is referable to a period of time. £210 £220



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)


This Order, which comes into operation on 1st April 1998, increases limits applying to redundancy payments, to the compensation which can be awarded by industrial tribunals in cases of unfair dismissal, to the guarantee payments employers are required to make in cases of lay-off, and to certain payments the Department is required to make out of the National Insurance Fund to employees of an employer, who has become insolvent.

The maximum amount of "a week's pay", used in calculating redundancy payments and basic and additional awards of compensation for unfair dismissal and to limit payments to employees of an insolvent employer is increased to £220.

The maximum award of the compensatory award payable in unfair dismissal cases and the maximum amount of compensation payable where an order for reinstatement or re-engagement is not fully complied with are both increased to £12,000.

The minimum amount of the basic award where a dismissal is attributable to an employees trade union membership or activities, his activities or proposed activities as an employee representative or pension scheme trustee, or his actions in connection with perceived risks to health and safety at work, is increased to £14,500, or, where an order for reinstatement or re-engagement is not complied with, £21,800. The maximum amount of the special award in such cases is increased to £29,000.

The maximum guarantee payment payable to an employee in respect of any day on which he is laid-off is increased to £15.35.

The increases apply where the event giving rise to an employee's entitlement to compensation or other payments occurred on or after 1st April 1998. Limits previously in force (under the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 as it had effect immediately before the coming into operation of this Order) are preserved by Article 4 of the Order in relation to cases where the relevant event was before that date.


Notes:

[1] S.I. 1996/1919 (N.I. 16)back

[2] S.I. 1995/1980 (N.I. 12)back

[3] S.R. 1995 No. 342back



ISBN 0 337 93117 8


 


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