“What the numbers don’t show is the human impact of these contracts. The growing number of people on a zero hour contract cannot plan their lives and their caring responsibilities because they don’t know when they will be called into work.”
Sasha Josette, Director of Zero Hours Justice
By Labour Hub
Figures out today (August 15th) from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the number of people employed on zero hour contracts is at their highest level since the ONS datasets began in 2000.
Across the UK there are 1.18 million people working on a zero hour contract. For the vast majority of these workers this means they have no security of employment, are uncertain about how many hours they will work and the amount of money that they will earn each week.
In Scotland the figures show a record 109,000 people working on a zero hour contract and 33,000 In the North East of England employed on a zero contract.
This news comes as Ian Lavery MP for Wansbeck in the North East of England has become the UKs first MP to become a Zero Hours Justice accredited employer.
Sasha Josette, Director of Zero Hours Justice, said: “Today’s record figures provide compelling evidence of the growing prevalence of zero hour contracts. But what the numbers don’t show is the human impact of these contracts. The growing number of people on a zero hour contract cannot plan their lives and their caring responsibilities because they don’t know when they will be called into work and what if anything they will earn.
“Zero Hour Contracts must be ended through legislation and we look forward to the next government introducing legislation to abolish them as a matter of urgency. In the meantime we would urge all employers to do the same as Ian Lavery MP, and join our accreditation scheme and commit to never employing anyone on a zero hours contract.”
Ian Lavery MP said: “These figures highlight exactly why I am proud to become the first MP to become a Zero Hours Justice accredited employer. No one should be going to work unsure of when their next shift will be or if they are going to be able to earn enough to put food on the table for their family this week.
“The cost of living crisis has once again reminded us of the urgency to get rid of these dreadful contracts once and for all to ensure that people have good quality, secure jobs with proper terms and conditions in the workplace. I will be doing whatever I can in and out of parliament to raise this issue at every opportunity to get every MP and employer around the country to commit to banishing these contracts for good.”
- This article was originally published by Labour Hub on August 15th, 2023.
- You can view the Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures in full here.
