Zero hours review under fire

The government’s consultation on zero hours contracts that concluded last month was a missed opportunity to scrutinise this form of employment, unions have said.

The consultation was very short-sighted, it was argued, with its main focus on the use of exclusivity clauses which prevent those on zero hours contracts from accepting work elsewhere.

However, while exclusivity clauses are unfair to the worker, they are just the tip of the iceberg as such contracts mean employers can keep workers at their beck and call and forced into long working hours at short notice.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of the public services union UNISON, said the consultation had missed “the bigger picture” and that a comprehensive review into the prolific use of zero hours contracts was urgently needed. He said: “At a time when jobs are scarce, workers need secure employment more than ever.

“For many people it’s all or nothing, with workers feeling compelled to work long hours when they are offered them for fear of being given fewer hours the following week.”

The latest official figures show that employers are using these contracts more than ever.The Labour Force Survey has found that the number of people in the UK on zero hours contracts had more than doubled to 583,000 at the end of last year, although the Office for National Statistics cautions that increased media coverage may have affected this response.

http://union-news.co.uk/2014/03/youve-failed-working-zero-hours-contracts-tuc-tells-government/

www.unison.org.uk/news/zero-hour-contracts-consultation-misses-bigger-picture