Zero-hours contracts

The 20,000 part-time workers at Sports Direct, the retailer controlled by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, are employed — or more correctly exploited — on zero-hours contracts. The part-time workforce at Sports Direct accounts for 90% of its 23,000 employees.

Zero-hours contracts mean that part-time staff at the firm have no holiday or sick pay, and cannot be sure of how many hours they will work each week. Meanwhile, the company posted pre-tax profits of more than £200 million in the last year.

Zero-hours contracts are now used by almost a quarter of Britain’s major employers and legally allow firms to employ staff, often in low-paid jobs, without any guarantee of actual work, or income.

Ashley seems to court controversy as Newcastle United’s shirt sponsor is the “payday lender”, some might say loan shark, Wonga.

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/part-time-sports-direct-staff-103026959.html