Labour Party proposals

In 2014, the Labour Party announced a series of proposals to tackle exploitation through ZHCs, following a review by Norman Pickavance, ex-director of human resources at supermarket Morrisons. Proposals include:

• a right to request a fixed-hours contract after working regular hours for six months for the same employer, who can reject the request only with good reason;

• an automatic fixed-hours contract after working regular hours for a year, unless workers opt out;

• an end to “exclusivity” clauses which prevent people working for another employer;

• a ban on contracts that force employees to be available at all hours;

• compensation, such as two hours’ pay, when shifts are cancelled at short notice;

• rules ensuring that employees are clear about their contract terms;

• anti-avoidance measures to prevent lay-offs just before the qualification date.

At the 2013 TUC Congress, the Labour Party briefed that “anyone working for a single employer for more than 12 weeks on a zero-hours contract would have the automatic right to a full-time contract based on the average time worked over that period”. The Pickavance proposals, extending this period to 12 months, are widely viewed as a major climbdown from Labour’s original plan. As unions point out, employers can easily avoid the obligation to offer a fixed-hours contract after 12 months, simply by dismissing workers ahead of the deadline and later rehiring them.

www.yourbritain.org.uk/uploads/editor/files/ZHCs_report_final_FINAL_240414.pdf