ACAS -- the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service -- says it has moved centre stage in a new era of North-west employment relations.

The regional annual report shows that more people than ever are ringing ACAS Public Enquiry Points (up 25 per cent to 102,750), working with the organisation to resolve complaints to Employment Tribunals (up 42 per cent) and attending talks, seminars and workshops (more than 150 events in 1999/200).

The Working Time Regulations -- particularly the entitlement to paid holidays -- and the National Minimum Wage were two issues which had a significant impact on employee-employer relationships .

Public enquiry points in the North-west dealt with more than 31,000 calls on the topics of holidays and wages alone -- a rise of 68 per cent.

ACAS also received 304 requests to conciliate in disputes involving employers, unions and employee representatives -- a 15 per cent rise over figures from recent years.

The rise reflected an increase in requests for assistance in partnership and/or trade union recognition issues.

ACAS says 97 per cent of the total disputes were either resolved or the subject of significant progress.

Mr Paul Healey, Assistant Director of ACAS in the North-west, said: "These latest figures show that we have an increasingly important role to play.

"Our involvement brings real results -- in this region we resolved 76 per cent of cases before they reached the more costly and time-consuming tribunal system."

He added: "The employment landscape has changed dramatically over the past 25 years and these days the name ACAS is often used as a byword for thinking ahead rather than patching up and making do.

"In the end it makes sense to follow good practice, both financially and in terms of employee well-being."

The ACAS Annual Report 1999/2000 is available free of charge to callers at ACAS offices or for £1 by post from ACAS Reader Ltd, PO Box 16, Earl Shilton, Leicester LE9 8ZZ. (Tel: 01455 852225).