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, redundancy payments and employment discrimination. The tribunals are part of the UK tribunals system, administered by the HM Courts and Tribunals Service and regulated and supervised by the Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council. History Employment tribunals were created as industrial tribunals by the Industrial Training Act 1964. Industrial tribunals were judicial bodies consisting of a lawyer, who was the chairman, an individual nominated by an employer association, and another by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) or by a TUC-affiliated union. These independent panels heard and made legally binding rulings in relation to employment law disputes. Under the Employment Rights (Dispute Resolution) Act 1998, their name was changed to employment tribunals from 1 August 1998. Employment tribunals continue to perform the same function as the industrial tribunals. Jurisdiction Employment tribunals may hear claims brought within three months for issues related to ‘’statutory’’ breaches only. The statutory breaches are listed below. Under the Employment Rights Act 1996: Unfair dismissal Unlawful wage deductions or required payments to employers Disputes regarding written particulars of employment Disputes regarding itemised pay statements Breach of the National Minimum Wage Disputes regarding time off for public duty (including jury service) Maternity, paternity and adoption issues: pay and leave Under the Equality Act 2010: claims of breach of equality clauses failure to provide equality of terms when a case is referred by another court Under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992: Unfair dismissal and other actions for reasons related to trade union membership or participation in industrial action Offering of inducements to not join a trade union or opt-out from collective bargaining agreements Blacklisting Issues related to taking time off for union duties Failure to consult a recognised union or representative organisation over a proposed redundancy or over changes to training Disputes over union membership including disciplinary action or expulsion of members Also, action can be brought under a number of other statutes: the Working Time Regulations for issues related to rest breaks, rest periods, detriments for failure to work in excess of the maximum time etc. the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 the Employment Relations Act 1999, for failing to allow workers to be accompanied at disciplinary or grievance hearings