The GPMU has said that it would be forced to pay tariffs to take members cases to tribunal if proposals announced by employment relations minister Alan Johnson are adopted.


The measures, which could mean the introduction of a reported 100 charge, are part of an ongoing investigation to introduce changes to legislation, along with non-statutory measures, to encourage companies to resolve disputes in-house.


A spokesman for the GPMU said: "If the measures were to deter anyone who has a genuine grievance from going to a tribunal then that is deplorable."


In 1990 there were 43,243 applications for employment tribunals, while last year this figure had leapt to 130,308.


A spokesman for the DTI could not confirm the 100 figure, which was reported in The Times on 20 July, as the tariff has yet to be established.