Zero-hours contracts

Over 300,000 workers in the care sector alone are employed on zero-hours contracts according to shadow health secretary Andy Burnham.

The number of care workers on zero-hours contracts — put at 307,000 by Burnham — is well in excess of the figures, released by the Office for National Statistics in May. They showed that the number of workers on zero-hours contracts in all industries had nearly doubled in 2012 to reach 200,000.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “These shocking figures confirm what we have suspected all along — the rise in zero hours working is far greater than official reports suggest.

“Social care is not the only sector to be experiencing high levels of zero-hours contracts — higher education, legal services and journalism all have large numbers of people working on these insecure terms and conditions.”

In June, business secretary Vince Cable announced a government review of zero-hours contracts.

www.tuc.org.uk/workplace/tuc-22328-f0.cfm