Commenting on new figures published today (Monday) by the
Office for National Statistics, which show that UK firms used 1.8
million zero-hour contacts in 2017 and that 901,000 people have a
zero-hour contract as their main employment (final quarter of
2017), TUC General Secretary Frances
O’Grady said:
“Most people are not on zero-hour contracts by choice. They
want the same rights, security and guaranteed hours as other
employees.
“More than half of zero-hour contract workers have had jobs
cancelled with less than a day’s notice. Zero-hour contracts are
a licence to treat people like disposable labour and the
government should ban them.”
The TUC is holding a march and rally on London on Saturday
12 May demanding a new deal for working people.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- A TUC commissioned poll of workers on zero-hour contracts
published in December 2017 found that:
-
More than half (51%) of zero-hours workers have had
shifts cancelled at less than 24 hours' notice.
-
Nearly three-quarters (73%) have been offered work at
less than 24 hours' notice.
-
Only 25% say they prefer being on zero-hours
contracts
-
Only 1 in 8 (12%) say they get sick pay.
-
Only 1 in 14 (7%) would get redundancy pay.
-
Two-fifths (43%) say they don’t get holiday pay.
-
Half (47%) say they do not get written terms and
conditions.
-
Just 1 in 20 (5%) say they have the right to a permanent
contract after working the same hours consistently.
The poll was conducted online during August 2017 by GQR
Research. It surveyed 300 workers on zero-hours contracts and
2987 other workers, all in Great Britain. Results were weighted
to the national profile of working people, by age, gender,
ethnicity, full/part time contracts, public/private sector and
industry. The zero-hours sample was separately weighted to
national statistics for zero-hours workers, by gender, age,
region, full/part-time hours and industry.
