“Around one in three people on a “zero-hours contract” want more hours, with most wanting them in their current job, as opposed to a different job which offers more hours”.
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Data released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows 903,000 people are working on a zero hours contract, previously favoured by retail giants such as Sports Direct, which is equal to 2.9 per cent of the overall workforce.
The Trades Union Congress, Britain’s largest union group, said its research showed a worker on a zero-hours contract earns 7.25 pounds per hour, as a median, compared with 11.05 pounds for a typical worker.
Nearly four in 10 (37 per cent) reported that they worked fewer, and 22 per cent reported that they worked more, than their usual hours at the time they responded to the survey.
“Zero hours contracts do exist in other industries, we’ve found them in hospitals, universities and within the NHS”.
One worker in 34 in Scotland is on a zero hours contract.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Zero-hours contracts have become an easy way for bosses to employ staff on the cheap”.
“If you’re from an ordinary working class family, life is much harder than many people in Westminster realize”, May said as she took over from David Cameron in July. This means that the average actual weekly hours worked in their main job by someone on a zero-hours contract is lower, at 21.1 per week compared with the average actual weekly hours for all workers at 32.5.
“Since May past year, the use of exclusivity clauses has been unlawful, meaning that individuals have more control over their lives and can work more hours with another employer if they wish”.
Gillian Guy of Citizens Advice said the contracts were responsible for growing financial insecurity.
The discrepancy between the number of people on these contracts and the number of contracts is due to the fact that some people have more than one, according to the ONS.
The Resolution Foundation added that zero hours contracts have “moved well beyond the student job market”, with half of the latest increase being among workers aged 25 and over.
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“Banning zero hours contracts is not the answer, as it punishes workers who genuinely prefer the flexibility they offer”, D’Arcy said. 42% of people on zero-hours contracts worked their “usual hours” compared with 58% of other workers; 37% of people worked less than their usual hours compared with 29% of other workers and 22% worked more, compared with 13% of those in other employment.
