Zero Hours Contracts

[lindapalmara]

Fact: 62 Labour MPs employ people on Zero hours contracts

https://www.politicshome.com/economy-and-work/articles/story/labour-mps-employing-staff-zero-hours-contracts

Fact: Tony Blair vowed to end Zero hours contracts in his 1995 Brighton speech.

http://www.britishpoliticalspeech.org/speech-archive.htm?speech=201

Quote from the speech:

"'There will be an end to zero-hours contracts.' Why you can't trust Labour to deliver on their promises,"

[fiction-factory]

Whilst I agree that these types of contracts are being abused there are many jobs where they are necessary and they do suit some workers so I think it was foolish of Blair or anyone to promise to get rid of them

[RandyMarsh]

Tony Blair is not the prime minister anymore.

[lindapalmara]

Randy, I didn't say he was, I'm pointing out that it's nothing new, if Labour couldn't end them nearly 20 years ago, what makes them think they can now?

Like fiction factory said, they suit some people.

[Peter Pedant]

There was a zero hours bill zinging its way thro Parliament
but I think it must have fallen as a result of the dissolution

[Gromit]

Tony Blair wasn't in power in 1995. What goes in the maniseato is decided by the Party not the leader. Did it make it into the 1997 manifesto?

If 62 Labour MP employ on zero hours contracts then that is a disgrace. The should be named and shamed. And how many Conservatives?

[lindapalmara]

If it didn't mKe the manifesto in 1997 then It can't have been Important to them. Seems like a straw for the present party heirarchy have found to cling onto.

[cassa333]

BANK contracts are zero hrs contracts.

They could be bar staff for businesses that have functions only occasionally. If your business had only half a dozen bar functions a year it would be impractical to give a contract that guarantee hours every week. BANK or zero hrs allows them to work when needed without the hassle of continually supplying information. That way you can work for as many employers as you like.

[Bazile]

Do they get paid if they dont do any hours ?

[Hypognosis]

Good find, Linda.

You see, not everyone to the left of centre agrees with everything Labour do or say and failing to practice what they preach is the kind of hypocrisy which destroys public trust.

On the other hand, if I was to become politically active, as a 'helper', say, then it would probably have to be a zero hours arrangement as they wouldn't be able to afford to keep me full time (ie not enough work needing to be done).

Rather than outlaw zero hours, since they're working so well for employers and employees, why not change what they preach and simply treat the zero-houred as a category separate from the fully-employed and the unemployed, for statistical purposes?

Or would that blow the Conservatives' repeated claim of "jobs recovery" out of the water?

[mikey4444]

linda...how many Tory MP's employ people on zero hours contracts ?

I don't know the answer to this question, but it would help to even up the debate if you were to tell us !

[Baldric]

///Fact: Tony Blair vowed to end Zero hours contracts in his 1995 Brighton speech. ///

So what went wrong Mikey?

[Ken4155]

As at 16 May 2014 the count was; Conservatives 77, Labour 62, Lib Dems 5 and 'others' 7.

[Hymie]

The total number is a lot less than Amazon. Those working zero hours for them have the added contractual stipulation that they cannot work for anyone else.

[naomi24]

I looked at the 1997 manifesto as Gromit suggested and although I can find no reference to Zero Hours Contracts, I did come across these two gems.

“Long-term objective of ten pence starting rate of income tax” – which they subsequently abolished altogether…. and

“Every country must have firm control over immigration and Britain is no exception.” Not a lot to say about that one except perhaps Ho ho ho!!

[mikey4444]

Linda...make your mind up. Are you against zero hours contracts or not ? And if you are, shouldn't you be against them when anybody uses them, not just Labour MPs ? If you think they are so bad, why have the Tories not done anything about the situation since May 2010 ?

There is nothing much wrong with zero hours contacts in itself. I have worked using a zero hours contracts for 6 years. But cassa and Hymie have made very good points. When a zero hours contacts doesn't guarantee any work at all, but forbids you from working for anybody else, that is plain wrong. That is not the way my main employer works, so I can, and do take on other similar work for other employers.

But my niece is a home carer, on a zero hours contracts and forbidden to sign on with any similar employer. That is plain wrong, and I suspect would not be upheld in a court of law.

She is also not paid for the time spent travelling between her clients, resulting in her being paid less than the minimum wage, although that sharp and illegal practise looks as if it is to shortly change, at least here in Wales.

[Old_Geezer]

They are an opportunity to exploit those needing a job/income. Those who believe it suits them have the opportunity to join a temping agency; they need not support this exploitation opportunity. As for political parties, only a fool trusts any of them further than they can throw them.

[lindapalmara]

Mikey, I didn't say I was for or against Zero hours. I just Pinter out the Hypocracracy. I'm sure other parties do the same although I think its very odd for you to insist on putting both sides of the case in every post, thread? Whatever you call them to 'even up the debate'? Since when have you done that in your posts?

I think zero hours contracts suit a lot of people who want to be flexible and it is my understanding that the Coalition did something stop employers making it against the law to make the contracts exclusive so people couldn't take up work with anyone else. I may be wrong there but I think either it's been done or in the pipeline. Labour, when in Government, did nothing.

[EDDIE51]

The type of zero hours contract that was to be banned were ones where not only were you only offered hours when it suited the employer, but you were banned from any other work.
So you could be offered no work by your employer and also banned from doing any other work as well.
'Normal ' zero hours contracts where you could also work for other employers or turn down work were not affected.

[lindapalmara]

Thanks Eddie. I knew they had done something.

[Hypognosis]

"Hypocracracy"

I am struggling not to think about what the Hippopotamus does, to establish dominance, at this moment.

And, for heaven's sake don't google it. Never has "cannot un-see" been more appropriate.

Then again, if you are getting messed around while on zero hours, it certainly passes the time.