Labour is facing criticism from both unions and employers after unveiling details of plans to introduce a guaranteed regular working week as part of a ban on zero-hours contracts. The new rules, expected to come into force next year, would require employers to offer staff, including agency workers, a contract guaranteeing a minimum number of hours each week based on their regular working hours.
Government Proposes 8-20 Hour Guarantee
The government has stated its preference that workers would be guaranteed between eight and 20 hours per week. This change would affect more than one million people in the UK currently working on zero-hours contracts. Business Secretary Peter Kyle emphasized the need for change, stating: 'It's not right that people can work regular hours but still have no certainty about their pay from week to week. These vital changes will mean more certainty for millions of people and will save the lowest paid workers hundreds of pounds.'
Union Concerns Over Implementation
However, unions have expressed disappointment with the proposals. Joanne Thomas, general secretary of the shopworkers' union Usdaw, said: 'It is deeply disappointing that the government is intending to not give all workers the right to a guaranteed hours contract, despite that being the very clear manifesto commitment. Many of our members are employed on short-hours contracts, routinely working significantly more hours than they are contracted. Those additional hours can be removed at the discretion of the employer, leaving workers without stability or security.'
Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, added: 'Workers should know how much they'll be earning from week to week instead of being at the whim of a bad employer who could cut shifts last minute.'
Employer Opposition and Warnings
Employers have also voiced strong opposition. Kate Nicholls, chair of the UKHospitality trade body, which represents thousands of restaurants, cafes, pubs, and hotels, described retaining access to zero-hours contracts as 'crucial'. She warned: 'There is a danger that over-regulating flexible work actually increases work instability, rather than decrease it, which would undermine the government's agenda to get people back into work.'
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents most major retailers, cautioned: 'With over a million young people out of work or education, government cannot afford to get this wrong. Crack down on bad employers by all means, but not by adding costs and rules that deter good employers from hiring in the first place.'
