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The Office of the Industrial Tribunals and Fair Employment Tribunal (OITFET) is a Government body in
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
which is responsible for the facilitation of
employment tribunal Employment tribunals are tribunal public bodies in England and Wales and Scotland which have statutory jurisdiction to hear many kinds of disputes between employers and employees. The most common disputes are concerned with unfair dismissal, red ...
s.
Industrial tribunal Employment tribunals are tribunal public bodies in England and Wales and Scotland which have statutory jurisdiction to hear many kinds of disputes between employers and employees. The most common disputes are concerned with unfair dismissal, redu ...
s are independent judicial bodies in Northern Ireland that hear and determine claims to do with employment matters. These include a range of claims relating to
unfair dismissal In labour law, unfair dismissal is an act of employment termination made without good reason or contrary to the country's specific legislation. Situation per country Australia (See: '' unfair dismissal in Australia'') Australia has long-standing ...
,
breach of contract Breach of contract is a legal cause of action and a type of civil wrong, in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party ...
,
wages A wage is payment made by an employer to an employee for work done in a specific period of time. Some examples of wage payments include compensatory payments such as ''minimum wage'', ''prevailing wage'', and ''yearly bonuses,'' and remuner ...
and other payments as well as
discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...
on the grounds of
sex Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones (ova, oft ...
,
race discrimination Racial discrimination is any discrimination against any individual on the basis of their skin color, race or ethnic origin.Individuals can discriminate by refusing to do business with, socialize with, or share resources with people of a certain ...
,
disability discrimination Ableism (; also known as ablism, disablism (British English), anapirophobia, anapirism, and disability discrimination) is discrimination and social prejudice against people with disabilities or who are perceived to be disabled. Ableism characteri ...
,
sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...
, age, part-time working and equal pay. ''The Fair Employment Tribunal'' is an independent judicial body in Northern Ireland that hears and determines complaints of discrimination on the grounds of religious belief or political opinion. It is staffed by 59 personnel responsible for the administration and organisation of the tribunals. The staff are provided by the
Department for the Economy The Department for the Economy (DfE, ga, An Roinn Geilleagair) is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for the Econo ...
(DfE) and the team is led by the Secretary of the Tribunals.


Industrial Tribunals

The jurisdiction of an industrial tribunal to hear and determine complaints is subject to Article 85 of the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. Where a complaint has been made to the Fair Employment Tribunal of unlawful discrimination on the grounds of religious belief or political opinion and it appears that this complaint is one in respect of which: **a complaint could be made to an industrial tribunal under any other statutory provision; or **a complaint has been made to an industrial tribunal which has not been disposed of; then the President or Vice President may direct that these matters shall be heard by the Fair Employment Tribunal and not by an industrial tribunal. For these purposes the Fair Employment Tribunal has the jurisdiction and powers of an industrial tribunal. Before such a direction is made however, a notice will be sent to those concerned, giving them an opportunity to show cause why such a direction should not be made. Industrial Tribunals sit mainly in Belfast but in certain circumstances may use other centres throughout Northern Ireland.


Fair Employment Tribunals

The Fair Employment Tribunal deals with claims of discrimination on the grounds of religious belief or political opinion. The statutory regulations governing its proceedings are The Fair Employment Tribunal (Rules of Procedure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005. Tribunals are like courts but are not as formal; for example, nobody wears a wig or a gown. However like a court it must act independently and cannot give legal advice. Almost all hearings are open to the public. The Fair Employment Tribunal sits in Belfast. Persons (or other bodies) bringing claims to a tribunal are known as claimants and those against whom such claims are brought are known as respondents.


References

{{Reflist Government of Northern Ireland Employment in the United Kingdom United Kingdom tribunals United Kingdom labour law