Zero hours contracts are common in hospitality, retail, health and social care, and education (Pic: Public Domain)
The number of people on zero hours contracts in Britain has hit a record high of 1.23 million.
Analysis from the Work Foundation at University of Lancaster shows an increase of 91,000 people on these insecure contracts since last year.
Bosses use zero hours contracts to hire workers without guaranteeing them a fixed amount of hours or pay each week.
Bosses claim they promote flexibility. But in reality they leave people not knowing if they’ll make the rent next month or if they’ll be able to do a food shop.
Lean, who works in hospitality in Edinburgh, says this leaves them “massively insecure”. “I never know if I’ll make enough to cover my rent. I’m relying on my overdraft,” they told Socialist Worker.
They started on a contract with set hours, but had it cut recently to a zero hours contract. They said, “It means I can’t plan ahead at all, I’m having to plan my life in the short-term only.”
Lizzie, who works in retail in Portsmouth, agrees. She had consistent weekend shifts for months. But last week she was told by her manager that due to “cuts” she will no longer have consistent work.
“I’m still technically employed, but I have no sense of stability around when I’m working or if I’m even working.
“I have money this month, but next month, who knows?”
The toll this takes is clear, “It leaves me feeling lost and anxious. I have a lack of awareness and lack of ability to plan what I’m doing in my life,” Lizzie said.
“I’m trying to find housing for next year and I’m having to think ‘will I have enough money for this? Can I assume I’ll get more hours?’
“It leaves me feeling so unstable because I can’t predict my finances long term.”
Lean explained the reason so many people are getting stuck in these jobs. “There is this desperation when you’re looking for a job that means you just take whatever you can get, even when you know it’s unstable.”
Lizzie added, “I’m getting a degree I really care about and I want to pursue it properly. That takes time so I’ve ended up in this zero hours contract.
“Now my hours have been cut but I can’t get another job anywhere else.”
Zero hours contracts treat workers as disposable and puts them in vulnerable positions to the benefit of bosses.
The Labour Party promised in its election manifesto in 2024 to do away with “exploitative zero hours contracts”. Now it is delaying the changes to next year and saying it will reform the contracts instead.
Far from being abolished, the use of such contracts has soared as unemployment rises. Some 181,000 more people have been employed under zero hours contracts since Labour came to office.
Labour is facing a crisis as its support dwindles. But it is betraying its promises to workers. It has watered down the Employment Rights Act and its commitment to raising the minimum wage for younger workers and now its pledge to end zero hours contracts.
The Labour government is unable to offer any meaningful reforms for working class people. It is committed to fiscal rules of its own making which require it to cut net government debt as a share of national income by 2029-30. And it is desperate to appear to be a safe pair of hands for British capitalism as it faces lobbying by the bosses.
Workers and their unions should demand an end to the bosses’ attempts to drive down living standards.
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