Flint Town Council has made history by becoming the first Town or Community council in Flintshire to secure accreditation as a No Zero Hours Employer. This success has been recognised by Zero Hours Justice, an organisation dedicated to ending the imposition of zero hours contracts by employers. The Town Council are proud to lead the way and demonstrate that good employment practice means providing our workers with the security and stability of working hours that they need. The move to apply for accreditation occurred after Town Councillors unanimously voted for a motion proposed by the Chair of the Finance and Policy Committee and Mayor, Cllr. Ben Goldsborough, at the June Town Council meeting. Flint Town Council recognise that it is now more important than ever to show our staff that we value them and demonstrate to the wider business world that you can operate a good business and make profit without using zero hours contracts. Zero Hours Justice offer their free No Zero Hours Accreditation Scheme to all employers in the private and public sectors and third-sector organisations who do not employ workers on zero hours contracts. They also offer a Fairer Hours Employer Accreditation to employers who use zero hours contracts but comply with some minimum requirements in their use. Being accredited is a way to demonstrate that your organisation recognises the financial pressure being on a zero hours contract places on people and their families. Being unsure of what money you have coming in to pay for your living costs, is wrong and can cause working people to go into debt and suffer anxiety and worry. By recognising and promoting employers who choose not to use zero hours contracts Zero Hours Justice hopes to persuade other employers to follow suit. Director of Zero Hours Justice, said: “Most workers are on zero hours contracts because it was the only work they could find. Not knowing what hours you are working from one day to the next means planning your finances is stressful. At a time when the cost of living continues to increase workers need to know when they are working to plan their lives and pay their bills. Many employers recognise that using zero hours contracts with little notice of hours of work does not make for a happy and productive workforce and we applaud those who are leading the way by not using them such as Flint Town Council.” This article was originally published on Deeside.com.
By Martin Williams, The Herald THE "disgraceful" use of zero-hours contracts has doubled in Scotland since the government promised to review the use of the controversial practice a decade ago, it can be revealed. Calls been made for a ban over the explosion in insecure jobs in Scotland as it emerged that the numbers on zero-hours contracts has hit a record high. New official analysis shows that the number on the contracts in Scotland has doubled in a decade and now stands at 94,000. Critics say that zero-hours contracts create insecurity for workers and are used by employers to undercut wages and avoid holiday pay and pension contributions. Calls have been made to ban the casual employment contracts which do not oblige employers to provide a minimum number of working hours. They also do not oblige employees to accept any of the hours offered by their employer. It is also feared the rise of zero-hours contracts is having an impact on workplace bullying. The relative job security afforded by permanent contracts can make it easier for victims to come forward and lodge complaints. Without the guarantee of work the next day, freelance and zero-hours workers risk everything when they speak out about mistreatment. Analysis from the Labour Force Survey shows the typical number of weekly hours worked on zero-hours contracts has slumped from nearly 25.9 in the last three months of a pandemic-hit 2020 to 22.4 hours now. Those not on those contracts get over 14 hours a week more work. Nearly two in three have been on zero hours contracts for two years or less with 38% on them for under 12 months. Young workers, women workers and people born outside the UK are all more like to be in zero hours employment. The survey found that one in nine workers aged between 16 and 24 (11.7 per cent) are now on a zero hours contract. Scottish Trades Union Congress general secretary Roz Foyer said the rise in zero hours contracts is a "disgrace" and said the should be done away with. "The negative impact of zero hours on job security and financial and social well-being cannot be underestimated," she said. "Workers, particularly younger workers are unable to plan effectively for even the immediate future impacting their housing, heating and overall ability to cope with the cost-of-living crisis. "Zero hours contracts also remove a fundamental protection for workers who may be effectively removed from the active pay roll without reason bypassing their normal rights and leaving them prone to workplace bullying and anti-trade activity." She said the STUC propose minimum hours contracts in which workers are guaranteed a set number of hours each week. Ms Foyer added: "It would provide increased level of security based on normally expected hours – with flexibility for both employee or employer flexibility within an agreed range." In 2013, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government launched a review of zero-hours contracts because of “a steady rise” even nine years ago. Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat business secretary, noted “anecdotal evidence of abuse by certain employers – including in the public sector – of some vulnerable workers at the margins of the labour market”. At the time, there were 46,000 workers with zero-hours contracts, but this total has mushroomed as of the end of 2022, according to Office for National Statistics data. Two years ago the group that owns Sports Direct excused its use of zero-hours contracts, calling them “tough decisions that don’t work for everybody”, as it faced an investor rebellion over high pay for its top bosses. Finance director, Chris Wootton suggested that zero-hours contracts, which Fraser Group - formerly known as Sports Direct International plc - introduced for store workers at House of Fraser and Evans in the previous year, had helped keep those businesses afloat. “You have to make some tough decisions that don’t work for everybody for the long term benefit of the business,” he said. In 2016, Sports Direct said that it would offer casual retail staff guaranteed hours instead of zero-hours contracts and ensure all warehouse staff are paid above the National Minimum Wage following a stinging review into working practices at the retailer.y But the change is said to have only applied to staff employed directly by Sports Direct. Ninety-four per cent of the 3,200 staff at its much-criticised Shirebrook warehouse that were contracted through agencies were said not to benefit. Mike Ashley, the firm’s billionaire founder, had told MPs he was unaware that employees could potentially earn less the minimum wage while he admitted around 80% of store workers were on zero-hours contracts. However, a law firm report said he took "ultimate responsibility for any aspects of the working practices that were unsatisfactory”. Sports Direct hired law firm RPC to review employee procedures and corporate governance after coming in for a raft of criticism from politicians and unions for paying workers less than the minimum wage and implementing “Victorian workhouse” conditions at its Shirebrook warehouse. Sports Direct said that it would also suspend its “six strikes and you’re out” disciplinary procedure and pledged to pay warehouse staff above the National Minimum Wage. Zero Hours Justice, a non party political campaign that aims at regulating fair working practises in the UK, has launched an accreditation scheme in Scotland to promote employers who do not use zero hours contracts or use them in a more "ethical and responsible way". It said that the analysis shows that zero hours contracts are "all to prevalent in the Scottish economy". Zero hours contracts are exploitative and unnecessary," said a spokesman. "They leave workers uncertain of how many hours they might work, how much they will be paid and how they plan their lives. Zero hours contracts are also bad for business, impacting on workforce morale and employee recruitment and retention." The group is encouraging public and private sector employers who offer their workers fair employment contracts to sign up to their free accreditation scheme. And it has now welcomed social enterprise The Fauldhouse Community Development Trust as one of the first Scottish organisations to sign up for accreditation to their scheme. The trust joins Brent Council and jewellery retailer Beaverbrooks as the latest organisations to be recognised for their approach to fair employment. The Resolution Foundation said the increase in zero-hours contracts across the UK has been concentrated on the young and in hospitality. According to its analysis, other sectors that saw an increase in the use of zero-hours contracts in recent years included retail and health and social work. The think tank noted that there has been a fall in economic inactivity since last summer but added that the accompanying rise in zero-hours contracts is a “reminder of the need to boost the quality not just the quantity of work”. The Trades Union Congress has echoed concerns about "a huge explosion of insecure jobs" across the UK blaming the UK government. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Zero-hours contracts have no place in modern Britain. They allow workers to be treated like disposable labour. They should be banned along with other exploitative working practices like fire and rehire. “The Conservatives promised to make Britain the best country in the world to work in. But they have presided over a huge explosion in insecure jobs and are now attacking a host of other workers’ rights – including the right to strike.” The GMB union has also raised its concerns about the spread of zero hours contracts across the UK Gary Smith, GMB general secretary said: “This Government is making history for all the wrong reasons. “Rishi Sunak is presiding over a tidal wave of insecure work and exploitative zero hours employment is higher than ever. “The economy is stalling and his answer is to launch a bonfire of workers’ rights while other countries get with ending these contracts for good. “Zero hours contracts are a key part of a broken employment model in sectors from social care to retail. It’s time for a government that will fight for workers’ rights.” A UK government spokesperson said: “Over the past few years, the Government has acted to support workers at every turn, increasing the minimum wage to record levels and strengthening employment rights. This includes cracking down on the abuse of zero hours contracts by extending the ban on exclusivity clauses. We’re also supporting a Private Members Bill which will give workers the right to ask for a more predictable working pattern." This article was originally published in The Herald.
By Amelia Hill, The Guardian Zero-hours contracts among the over-50s have reached their highest level since records began, according to new analysis of official government statistics. There are nearly 300,000 people aged 50 and older with zero-hours contracts, the highest number for this age group since records began in 2013 and almost double the number 10 years ago, from 149,000 in October to December 2013 to 296,000 in July to September 2022. More than a quarter of the total number of zero-hours contracts are held by workers aged 50+, according to the analysis of Office of National Statistics data. “The large rise in the number of people aged 50+ working under zero-hours contracts is worrying,” said Stuart Lewis, chief executive of Rest Less, a digital community and advocate for people in their 50s and older, which analysed the data. “We know many who have turned to zero-hours contracts because they were unable to find a more permanent or structured type of work thanks to age discrimination or a lack of workplace flexibility,” he added. “Others are juggling zero-hours contracts alongside other part-time roles to top up working hours to make ends meet amidst double-digit inflation.” Rebecca Rees, 56, lives in Sussex with her husband. Currently unemployed, Rees was in nursing for 38 years and a health visitor for 20 years. “In 2014, I had no choice but to give up my full-time contract in the NHS so that I could work more flexibly while caring for my late mother,” she said. “The only option the NHS offered me was a zero-hours contract.” During the pandemic, however, Rees lost her job without warning and has been unemployed ever since. “I learned the hard way that my zero-hours contract left me vulnerable to a situation that was completely unforeseen,” she said. Chris Peace, director of campaigning organisation Zero Hours Justice, warned that the usual challenges of relying on a zero-hours contract – the insecurity of not knowing whether one is working or not, whether one has enough money coming in to pay their bills, and what one’s employment rights are – are exacerbated for those aged over 50 because of how their inconsistent wages affect their financial planning as they get closer to retirement. “Often, pension contributions of those over 50 are particularly badly affected because their wages fluctuate month to month,” said Peace. “Added to which, the use of zero-hours contracts is rife in the health and social care sector, and the impact on women over 50 in this sector is worrying.” Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said that zero-hour contracts are on the rise among older people because, “sadly, it’s often very hard to find a new job in your 50s and beyond, because ageism is rife in the labour market. Yet in reality, there is a wealth of knowledge, talent and experience among older workers, who frequently make fantastic contributions through the jobs they do”. Dr Emily Andrews, deputy director for work at the Centre for Ageing Better, said that while zero-hours contracts support many older workers to remain active in the labour market as their circumstances change, “all too often, these contracts mean one-sided flexibility in favour of the employer. Last-minute changes to shifts leave people unable to structure their time or plan their finances. This is particularly worrying in a cost-of-living crisis”. The copyright for this story is the property of Guardian News and Media (2022) and originally appeared in The Guardian. Zero Hours Justice worked with Rest Less, a digital community for over-50s, in the creation of this story.
By Jennifer Hyland, Daily Record Two former health secretaries have joined forces to call on the Scottish Government to ban zero hours contracts as part of their proposed new National Care Service. Alex Neil and Malcolm Chisholm have backed a campaign by relatives of patients, academics and politicians calling for an end to the exploitative regime in social care jobs. The sector is in the midst of a recruitment crisis and campaigners believe potential applicants are being put off by poor pay and working conditions. Humza Yousaf, the current health secretary, has been urged to make the eradication of zero hours contracts a key part of the National Care Service Bill which is currently going through the Scottish Parliament. Neil served as Cabinet for Health and Social Care in Alex Salmond’s SNP government between 2012 and 2014. Chisholm had the same role in the Labour-led coalition between 2001 and 2004. They are both signatories to a letter published today (Sun) by the campaign group Zero Hours Justice who campaign for the end of zero hours contracts across the economy. In the letter it states: “As the Scottish Parliament begins its scrutiny of the proposed National Care Service Bill we urge you to take this opportunity to eradicate pernicious Zero Hours Contracts from the social care sector.” It goes on: “It is our view that insecure and low paid work, embodied by Zero Hours contracts, are the heart of many of the problems we currently see in the health and social care system. Their use is incompatible with the Scottish Government’s commitment to ‘fair work’.” Commenting on the letter Neil, who retired as an SNP MSP last year, said: “The health and social care sector is in the midst of a major recruitment crisis. Social care shortages are leaving patients stuck in hospital taking up much needed hospital beds at a cost of £4,000 a week when they should be recovering at home with social care support. “Zero hours contracts are a barrier to people working in the care system and should be banned. The Cabinet Secretary must end the use of these pernicious contracts in the social care system.” Chisholm, who stop down as a Labour MSP in 2016, added: “Social care staff work under huge pressure, providing vital public services. They performed heroically during the Covid pandemic to keep us safe and well. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect with a secure contract, fair pay and decent working conditions. “The Cabinet Secretary has the opportunity to end the use of these contracts once and for all.” An estimated 15,000 people employed in the health and social care sector in Scotland are on zero hours contracts. The majority are female workers. Figures published earlier this year by the Scottish Government showed there was a vacancy rate of 43 per cent in social care. Other signatories to the letter include former Scottish Labour Party leader Richard Leonard, Alba Party MP Kenny Macaskill and Pat Rafferty, the Scottish secretary of Unite the Union. Cathie Russell, who represents the Care Home Relatives Scotland group which were part of the Sunday Mail’s Anne’s Law campaign for care home visiting right, is also backing the campaign. The letter states that zero hours contracts contribute to “increased vacancy rates and poor staff retention and a decline in standards of care provided”. It also said they create uncertainty in staff “who do not know from one week to the next how many hours they will work” and make it impossible for workers to financially plan their lives. Chris Peace, campaign Director of Zero Hours Justice, said: “Zero hours contracts are a stain on Scotland’s care system. They cause anxiety and fear amongst workers leaving them financially insecure and unable to plan their lives. They are a key factor in the recruitment crisis in the Scottish care system which, according to the Scottish Government, has a 43 per cent vacancy rate. “Humza Yousaf must take action to ensure that the eradication of Zero Hours is included in the National Care Service Bill.” The Sunday Mail asked for comments from Yousaf about the letter. In response, Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “The Scottish Government firmly opposes the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and other non-standard types of employment that offer workers minimal job or financial security. Companies bidding to win a Scottish Government contract are evaluated on their fair working practices, where it is relevant and proportionate to do so. “This includes the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and this will be extended to the National Care Service. The Fair Work in Social Care group has developed a set of minimum terms and conditions, including investigating ways to end the misuse of zero hours contracts within the social care sector, and work to deliver these standards with key stakeholders has begun." This article was originally published in Daily Record.
By Matt Trinder, The Morning Star TWO former Scottish health ministers lent support today to a campaign to end zero-hours contracts across the understaffed social care sector. Alex Neil of the SNP and Labour’s Malcolm Chisholm co-signed a letter from campaign group Zero Hours Justice calling for this type of “insecure and low-paid work” to be outlawed. They argued that the SNP administration’s National Care Service Bill, currently going through Holyrood, should be used to ban the widely condemned practice, which frees bosses of any obligation to provide minimum working hours. The campaign group warned that about 74,000 people north of the border are in this type of employment, with 20 per cent of them in the health and social care sector. Mr Neil, who was health and well-being secretary from 2012 to 2014, said: “Social care staffing shortages are leaving patients stuck in hospital taking up much-needed beds when they should be recovering at home with social care support. “Zero-hours contracts are a barrier to people working in the care system and should be banned.” Mr Chisholm, health and community care minister from 2001 to 2004, stressed that the sector’s staff, who “performed heroically during the Covid pandemic, deserve to be treated with dignity and respect via a secure contract, fair pay and decent working conditions.” Scottish Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart claimed that work is under way to tackle the issue. He said: “The Scottish government firmly opposes the inappropriate use of zero-hours contracts and other non-standard types of employment. “Companies bidding to win a government contract are evaluated on their fair working practices. This includes the inappropriate use of zero-hours contracts and this will be extended to the national care service.” This article was originally published in The Morning Star.
By Chris McCall, Daily Record The Scottish Government should ban the use of zero hour contracts in health and social care jobs if it wants to solve a recruitment crisis, campaigners have claimed. Zero Hours Justice, a UK-wide group calling for reform, said potential applicants were being put off by poor pay and working conditions. SNP ministers are planning to revolutionise the sector by creating the National Care Service - a move they insist will help drive up standards and allow for collective bargaining on wages. Health secretary Humza Yousaf said companies bidding for Scottish Government projects were already evaluated on their "fair working practices" while the "vast majority" of NHS staff were on permanent contracts. But campaigners want Holyrood to take action now and end the use of zero hour health jobs. Chris Peace, Zero Hours Justice campaign director, said: "GPs have repeatedly warned that the lack of social care staff threatens to overwhelm the NHS. Recently published statistics show that on average 1832 hospital beds in Scotland are taken up each day due to delayed discharge. "Much of this is caused by the inability to provide social care support due to a lack of staffing. Indeed, according to the Scottish Government the social care vacancy rate in Scotland is at an eye watering 43 per cent. "These health professionals work under huge pressure, providing vital public services. They performed heroically during the Covid pandemic to keep us safe and well. "They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect with a secure contract, fair pay and decent working conditions. The Scottish Government must take action to get rid of these pernicious contracts from the system." Yousaf said: "The Scottish Government firmly opposes the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and other non-standard types of employment that offer workers minimal job or financial security. "Companies bidding to win a Scottish Government contract are evaluated on their fair working practices, where it is relevant and proportionate to do so. This includes the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts and this will be extended to the National Care Service. "The Fair Work in Social Care group has developed a set of minimum terms and conditions, including investigating ways to end the misuse of zero hours contracts within the social care sector, and work to deliver these standards with key stakeholders has begun." The SNP minister added: "NHS Scotland offers a variety of employment opportunities including through permanent, fixed term and as and when required contracts. "The vast majority of staff are on permanent contracts of employment with as and when required contracts used for the NHS Staff Bank. "The Staff Bank offers flexible opportunities to individuals who do not wish to commit to a permanent contract or hours of work. These individuals are free to apply for a permanent role with a fixed commitment at any time." This article was originally published in Daily Record.
By Matt Trinder, Morning Star THE Scottish government must eradicate zero-hours contracts if it is to address the recruitment crisis in the health and social care sectors, campaigners said today. Zero Hours Justice activists demanded that SNP ministers take “immediate steps to end the use of these contracts once and for all” or see NHS vacancy numbers rise still further. The labour movement has repeatedly warned that casual zero-hours working arrangements — under which employees receive work only when bosses see fit to provide it — allow management to exploit workers and leave them particularly exposed to the worsening cost-of-living crisis. Holyrood has joined calls by the TUC and the Labour Party for the widely condemned practice to be abolished, but the SNP administration claims to have little room for manoeuvre as the issue has not been devolved from Westminster. Zero Hours Justice director Chris Peace said: “GPs have repeatedly warned that the lack of social care staff threatens to overwhelm the NHS. “Recently published statistics show that, on average, 1,832 hospital beds in Scotland are taken up each day due to delayed discharge. Much of this is caused by the inability to provide social care support due to a lack of staffing. “These health professionals work under huge pressure, providing vital public services. They performed heroically during the Covid pandemic to keep us safe and well. “They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, with a secure contract, fair pay and decent working conditions.” Holyrood must act to “get rid of these pernicious contracts,” Ms Peace stressed. The Scottish government has said that it does not directly employ anyone on zero-hours contracts and accused Tory ministers of “dragging their feet” over the problem. This article was originally published in The Morning Star.
By Patrick Jowett, ArtsProfessional An employment tribunal has ruled in a favour of a former art gallery worker who was denied redundancy pay after her employment status was questioned. In 2020, Turner Contemporary informed 40 employees working as gallery assistants and navigators that their roles were being removed in January 2021 and that they were ineligible for redundancy pay as they worked on zero hour contracts and did not have employment status Jan Wheatley, who worked as a navigator at the gallery for almost ten years, took the case to tribunal after turning down a settlement offer of £5,000. The tribunal took place in April, with a decision made public in August. The judge, Judge Corrigan, ruled that Wheatley was an employee and therefore not working on a contractor basis and was awarded £745 redundancy pay. Wheatley’s role, carried out on a part-time basis, involved delivering workshops, exhibition tours and school sessions, as well as involvement in planning and preparing upcoming exhibitions. The judge rejected Turner Contemporary’s claim each that shift was an isolated term of employment, noting that Wheatley also undertook leadership and facilitative roles and represented the gallery at external meetings. Some of her shifts around specific exhibitions had been booked months in advance. The official judgement says “the claimant worked regularly and consistently for the respondent over a period of about 10 years in an ongoing relationship that had never been terminated”. “[She] was in continuous communication about her availability and worked every exhibition throughout her employment…her work and role was integral to the structure of the organisation and the preparation and planning of its provision of exhibitions and other projects to the public. Her skills were clearly valuable in that preparation, planning and delivery.” “Despite the labels applied by the respondent, her work was neither casual nor truly intermittent. It was regular part-time work.” Employee status During her employment, Wheatley received staff discounts and was paid by PAYE, with the court noting she was not issued a P45 at the end of every assignment. All of Turner Contemporary’s navigators also took part in training sessions and staff outings, had a staff email, retained uniform and security passes between shifts and were named under the gallery’s staff section on its website. Judge Corrigan ruled the relationships between Wheatley and Turner Contemporary was “nothing like that of an independent contractor” and concluded an employment contract was in place. Wheatley, who represented herself at court after receiving supporting from campaign group Zero Hours Justice, advises workers with similar uncertainty around their worker status to keep hold of as much information as possible, including paper copies of email chains. “As soon as our employment was stopped, we didn’t have access to our work emails. But because I had paper copies, I was able to easily reference things that contradicted what [Turner Contemporary] were saying.” A spokesperson for Turner Contemporary said the gallery accepts the findings of the tribunal and “reasserts its commitment to continue to learn and to amend its practices”. The statement adds the findings relate to a historic case and leadership has since changed. Current director Clarrie Wallis joined the gallery in January – three months before Wheatley’s hearing. Wheatley also told ArtsProfessional that the “architect of the change of staffing” that caused the redundancies received a promotion after the staff cuts. Apologies outstanding Wheatley says some of the staff who lost their jobs are yet to receive compensation or an apology. Some of the those affected agreed a settlement figure with the gallery, which involved signing a non-disclosure agreement stating they would not talk about the settlement or speak badly about the gallery in public. According to Wheatley “only a handful” of the workers made redundant are yet to receive any form of financial payment. She added she had hoped winning the case would lead to Turner Contemporary contacting or remunerating those yet to receive redundancy pay, which would likely be less than the £745 she received. “When you take into account the amount of money spent on settlements and legal fees, if they’d just done the redundancies in the first place, it would probably cost less than half of what they’ve paid now.” she said. “If they’d done the right thing in the first place, everyone would’ve got their due amount and we would not have had this bad feeling – it all feels so unnecessary.” ArtsProfessional asked Turner Contemporary if the workers who had not had any settlement would get an apology or be compensated but did not receive any response. This article was originally published in ArtsProfessional. You can also read our blog post of this case
On 15 May 2022, our founder and businessman Julian Richer wrote about his experience of giving a speech to the Trade Union Congress about ending zero hours contracts and why it is in businesses' interest to stop using them. The article was published in the Sunday Times as part of Julian's weekly column. A PDF version of the article, along with comments, can be downloaded below:
By Matt Trinder, The Morning Star TORY ministers must urgently boost workers’ rights to tackle insecure employment and the endemic use of zero-hours contracts across Britain, the TUC and campaigners have demanded. The union federation’s head Frances O’Grady has joined with Zero Hours Justice founder Julian Richer and Living Wage Foundation director Katherine Chapman to urge Prime Minister Boris Johnson to introduce a long-delayed employment Bill into next month’s Queen’s speech. Boosting workers’ rights was an “urgent task” in 2019 when the legislation was first announced and the coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated the situation, they told the Prime Minister in a letter today. The letter warns that a lack of promised action will leave the government “without an effective vehicle to make the necessary reforms to the workplace.” The intervention comes amid reports that Tory ministers have dropped the Bill from their 2022-23 legislative agenda. The TUC estimates that one in nine workers are in insecure work — the great majority of them against their will — while the Living Wage Foundation warns that a third are given less than a week’s notice of shifts. Ms O’Grady said: “Time and time again, the Prime Minister said he would boost workers’ rights, but more than two years since the employment Bill was first promised, Boris Johnson has done nothing to show he is serious about upgrading workers’ rights. “Working people can’t wait. One million workers are on zero-hour contracts, more than three million are in insecure work, and the size of the gig economy has almost tripled in the past five years.” Action has “never been more urgent” following ferry operator P&O’s admission that it knowingly broke Britain’s timid employment laws when it suddenly sacked nearly 800 workers last month, she stressed. “No more excuses — it’s time for the employment Bill to end the scourge of insecure work and exploitative practices like zero-hour contracts,” Ms O’Grady added. Mr Richer said a “well-treated workforce is crucial” to the success of any business, while Ms Chapman called for action from “both politicians and employers to ensure that workers are provided with stable and secure hours alongside a living wage.” Labour backed the call, with deputy leader Angela Rayner saying: “Warm words on workers’ rights have been betrayed by this Prime Minister’s abject lack of leadership. “Labour is on the side of working people and committed to taking real action to end exploitative, unscrupulous working practices.” The party would introduce an employment Bill within 100 days if it wins the next general election, pledged Ms Rayner, who is also shadow secretary for the future of work. The need for greater worker protections has been underlined by a new survey which suggests that nearly one in five employers are likely to make staff redundancies over the next year. The YouGov poll, commissioned by conciliation service Acas, found that 18 per cent plan to let workers go, with larger businesses three times more likely to cut jobs than their small- and medium-sized counterparts. Acas chief executive Susan Clews said: “The impact of global events has seen some businesses facing difficult circumstances. “Bosses [must] exhaust all possible alternatives to redundancies first, but if employers feel like they have no choice then they must follow the law or they could be subject to a costly legal process.”
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