THE growth of zero-hours contracts in Derby is a real concern. Far too many Derby residents, particularly young people, are employed on zero-hours contracts. I’ve spoken to constituents who have told me about the struggle they and their families face on a daily basis.
For people bringing up a family the pressures are intolerable. Some have had to sacrifice time with their kids in order to be available whenever their employer requires them to be, even if there is no work. Others are required to work exclusively for one employer with no guarantee that they will get enough hours to pay the bills. I’ve also met people employed on zero-hours contracts even though in practice they work regular hours.
This kind of insecurity and stress can’t continue, which is why Labour has set out plans to outlaw the exploitive use of zero-hours contracts.
A Labour Government would ban employers from insisting zero-hours workers be available even when there is no guarantee of any work, stop zero-hours contracts that require workers to work exclusively for one business and end the misuse of zero-hours contracts where employees are in practice working regular hours over a sustained period.
The Tories love to talk about the need for a ‘flexible workforce’. But flexibility should not be an excuse for the exploitation of hard-working people. Flexibility should not amount to job insecurity and having to be flexible about whether you can afford the weekly shop. We’ve got to put a stop to that and that is what Labour is determined to do.
Messrs Cameron, Osborne and Clegg boast that they’ve fixed Britain’s economy. But what they won’t say is that their economic recovery is only benefitting a few at the top. They refuse to acknowledge that the vast majority of hard-working people, too many of which are employed on unstable zero-hours contracts, are being bypassed.
We need to build an economy that works for working people because a recovery that only benefits a few at the top is not only unfair but also unstable. Working people should feel confident and secure at work; ending the exploitive use of zero-hours contracts is an integral part of achieving this.
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Hi Chris
ReplyDeleteAs well as Zero Hours Contracts Lab MPs should look into Agencies springing up all over the UK. In N Wales, factories and shops are recruiting DIRECTLY from agencies. Agencies can send staff who may only work for 1-2 hours then be sent home. They have to ring the Agency each night to find out if there is work the next day. Some workers in a factory I know have been employed by the Agency for 2.5 years, yet work 40 hour weeks at the factory! This means they have no rights at all. Glad Ed M mentioned that workers who are employed continuously will be stopped from Zero Hours contracts and given a permanent contract. Good news but need to go further with Agency Workers.
Thanks and I totally agree Bernadette. In fact I mentioned this problem at a meeting of Labour MPs with Chuka this morning.
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