Time for an End to Zero Hours Contracts

In these times of austerity, one of the most blatant forms of exploiting workers is the zero hours contract.

ACAS (1) defines a zero hours contract as:

The term 'zero hours' is not defined in legislation, but is generally understood to be a employment contract between an employer and a worker, which means the employer is not obliged to provide the worker with any minimum working hours, and the worker is not obliged to accept any of the hours offered.
It is important that both the employer and worker are aware of the fact that a zero hours contract can make their relationship different to other employment contract arrangements.

On the surface an employer could claim that these contracts allow them flexibility to bring in extra staff in busy periods. However, in the main they are an abusive practice, which allows employers not to pay their workers when business is slow. I am sure that we have all heard stories of workers, travelling in to work having paid their transport fares, only be told by the boss that there's no work for them today so they have to go home again without any pay for their trouble. How can this be fair, to lone parents and others struggling to earn a living wage?

It is very convenient to employers that zero hour contracts do not contravene national minimum wage legislation or living wage policies. These rates of pay only apply to hours that are worked. A very neat dodge for the modern Scrooges in the employer class.

As part of the TUC's campaign Fair Pay Fortnight from Monday 24 March to Sunday 6 April the scandal of zero hours contracts will be highlighted. The TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady has said:(2)

“The government is failing to address many of the abuses experienced by workers on zero-hours contracts. That’s why we need urgent legislative action to stamp out the growing abuse of workers on these contracts and in other forms of insecure work.

“Individuals working regular hours should be offered a contract containing fixed hours, but they should not have to wait 12 months for increased job and income security.

“The TUC would like the government to go further and ensure that staff on zero-hours contracts are properly rewarded for the flexibility they offer employers and that they get the same basic workplace rights as employees.

The Labour Party is campaigning on what it calls "Britain's cost of living crisis". Those workers on zero hour contracts bear the brunt of this crisis. I believe that Labour should make an unequivocal manifesto pledge to outlaw this cynical employment practice. In this way, they could win back millions of votes from working class people.

But beyond Labour and the TUC, there is action that we can all take. It is no secret that many well-known retailers and shops on the High Street employ staff on zero hours contracts. Supposedly, in the free market we are all customers and therefore have the choice to patronise those businesses with fair employment policies. It is now the time to name, shame and boycott those who don't!

(1) http://www.acas.org.uk
(2) http://www.tuc.org.uk/industrial-issues/tuc-calls-tougher-action-zero-hours-contracts