Zero hours treatment decried


Bosses are able to treat workers like “disposable labour” thanks to zero hours contracts (ZHCs), said TUC general secretary Frances O’ Grady last month. 


She was responding to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), showing that the number of people on ZHCs has increased by 13% over the past year. The TUC estimates that the growth of zero hours working is costing the exchequer £1.9 billion a year, calculated on the basis that ZHC workers earn significantly less than regular employees and therefore pay less tax and less national insurance and are more reliant on tax credits.


The GMB general union has calculated that the figures show a massive 440% rise in people on ZHCs since 2010. General secretary Tim Roache said the ONS figure ties into a wider problem of insecure work in the UK with millions toiling away on agency contracts, ZHCs and in bogus self-employment. 


O’Grady said that “employment law needs dragging into the 21st century”. 


https://www.tuc.org.uk/economic-issues/industrial-issues/zero-hours-contracts-allow-bosses-treat-workers-%E2%80%9Cdisposable-labour