TUC slams “out of touch” Peers for voting to keep workers on zero hours contracts

• Employment Rights Bill back in the Lords today after Conservative and Lib Dem Peers voted to keep workers on zero hours contracts  

• “Out of touch and defying the will of the public”- TUC polling shows banning exploitative zero hours contracts hugely popular 
• TUC urges government to “stand firm” and defend long-overdue and sensible changes as legislation set for parliamentary ping pong 

The TUC has today (Wednesday) slammed “out of touch” Peers for voting to keep workers on zero hours contracts and “defying the will of the public”. 

The House of Lords – driven by the Conservatives and Lib Dems – backed a move to change the proposed legal requirement for an employer to offer workers a contract which reflects their regular hours, to an employee's “right to request” the arrangement. 

Tory and Lib Dem Peers went on to back a measure to exempt employers from having to make a payment to a worker if a shift was cancelled with at least 48 hours' notice. 

The union body points out that a significant number of the Conservative peers that voted to keep zero hours contracts are Hereditary Peers. 

The criticism comes as the Bill returns to the Lords today for further votes on opposition amendments, including on fire and rehire.  

The TUC is urging the government to stand firm and defend these long overdue and key workers' rights.  

Resounding public support 

Banning exploitative zero hours contracts is hugely popular across the political spectrum – including with Conservative and Reform supporters.  

More than 7 in 10 (72%) of UK voters support a ban on zero hours contracts – including 2 in 3 Reform (65%) and Conservative (63%) voters from the 2024 general election support banning zero hours contracts.  

The figure is even higher with those saying they would vote Conservative (65%) and Reform (67%) if there was a general election held tomorrow. Just 15% oppose the policy. 

The union body says those defending the broken status quo are putting their own vested interests ahead of working people's lives.   

According to the TUC, zero hours contracts give employers complete control over workers' hours – and therefore pay – meaning workers don't know how much they will earn each week.   

The union body argues that this makes it hard for workers to plan their lives, budget and look after their children. 

And it makes it harder for workers to challenge unacceptable behaviour by bosses because of concerns about whether they will be penalised by not being allocated hours in future.   

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:  

“The Conservatives have once again sided with bad bosses by voting to keep workers on zero hours contracts. 

“They are out of touch and defying the will of the public. 

“I would challenge any Tory Lord or Lib Dem peer to try to survive on a zero-hours contract, not knowing from week to week how much work they will have. 

“The sight of hereditary peers denying workers basic protections belongs in another century – not modern Britain. They're defending the broken status quo and are putting their own vested interests ahead of working people's lives. 

“The Employment Rights Bill is badly needed – it will deliver long overdue and sensible changes like banning exploitative zero hours contracts, ending fire and rehire and greater protection from harassment at work.  

“The government must stand firm and defend these common-sense reforms in the face of cynical and political attacks.”