Cameron promises to stop exclusive zero-hours contracts

[joanofarchitrave]

Having spent what feels like the the last two days posting against stuff proposed at the Conservative Conference, here is a policy I agree with 100%.

If you're going to vote Tory, here's a reason to. If you're not, this is something you should hassle your party to sign up to.

Disclaimer: I haven't found much detail...

It's nowhere near enough because it is just cutting exclusive zero-hour contracts. There will still be zero-hour contracts where people will have to wait for a phone-call to see if there is any work for them, only it won't be exclusive. So competing firms will offer zero-hour contracts and people will have to choose between them.

I do feel at least it eliminates the worst aspect of zero hour contracts, that you're not supposed to do anything else. One step at a time.

Yes, you are right, it is a start

Zero Hour Contracts have been around how many years, 10, 15 or more, and make up what percentage of the total employment figure, 1%?

Many people like them, the abuse seems to be mainly in the Exclusive sector, so as Claig says, it is a start.

Did you hear his Freudian slip today. Or was it a slip?

Apparently he despises single parents and a whole heap of other people.

What I'd like to see is a national minimum "retainer wage". Perhaps £3 or £4 an hour, if a company wants you to be available for work for them exclusively, they should pay for the privilege.

InMySpareTime .... that is a good point, as I guess if society would rather not lose the prospect of employment should employers decide to trim down their growth/demand for staff, I wonder if that is the answer - what would it cost, could/should government help e.g. be tax deductible.

It would be fairer for employees, as higher up professionals are paid to be "on call". It would mean that the most vulnerable workers in society could rely on a basic wage each week, whether their employer needs them or not.
Businesses would have better staff retention and would have an incentive to plan their workforce more effectively so fewer staff are waiting for shifts at any given time.
I daresay the unemployment figures would rise initially as some of the people getting zero hours on a zero hours contract move back to JSA, but current figures do not reflect people trapped in zero hours with no shifts, unable to claim JSA as they are unable to actively look for work due to exclusivity clauses.

I feel a national retainer wage should be at national minimum wage though. Minimum wage means what it says.

I actually cheered at the telly when I heard this one. Exclusive zero hours contracts are the work of the devil and whoever permitted them deserves the tortures of hell.

So competing firms will offer zero-hour contracts and people will have to choose between them

No they won't. They will be able to sign up to as many as they want. That's the whole point of stopping them being exclusive. Of course, if they are signed up to several and get offers of work from two or three they will have to choose which offer to accept.

Zero-hours contracts suit some people as it gives them a degree of flexibility. They can choose to turn down work if they want/need to do something else (which could include working for someone else). I don't think the government should be stopping them completely. But contracts preventing the employee working for someone else even when the employer is not offering any work are wrong so I'm pleased the Conservatives plan to put a stop to this.

Yes, I phrased that incorrectly. I meant that often people would have no choice but to accept zero hour contracts and would have to choose between those offered at the same time by different employers.

It is a tiny drop in a huge ocean. Shows lack of understanding for what is happening, for how people are treated. Not doing the worker much of a favour at all. However as always its a crumb and for that plebs can only be grateful.

I think its sad that zero contract hours are gone, they served a good purpose to many.
I don't agree with how they were defined in terms of being employed and the benefits system, but for those needing/wanting to top up existing wages it could make a good income.
These businesses won't employ somebody on an hourly contract as they don't know when they need staff, my ds will lose part of his income that was a nice bonus every now and again.

Um, zero hours contracts are still here, it's just that an employer cannot put someone on one and then demand they not seek work any place else.

They couldn't be used to top up existing wages if they were exclusive contracts.

Also 'Cameron promises' means nothing, really. Cameron opened his mouth.

Ah, I get it.
Well, isn't this good that people can look for more than one job.
I know it doesn't suit everyone and Like I said not good if it counts as employment and you can't get benefits, this was wrong.
Are they changing this system or does it remain the same?

Cameron doesn't know what the word PROMISE means.

He's only getting rid of them because it makes it harder to sanction part-time workers.

"For a long time now, DWP ministers have been panicking about how Universal Credit and increased benefit conditionality can possibly work alongside zero-hours contracts. Should Universal Credit ever actually be introduced then part time workers will face the same kind of Jobcentre harassment currently reserved for unemployed or sick and disabled people. People working part time could even face being sent on workfare in the hours they aren’t at work, whilst they will be required to take on additional jobs at the drop of a hat or their Housing Benefit could be sanctioned leaving them homeless.

These nasty new rules will place anyone working part time on an exclusive zero hour contract in an impossible situation. If they don’t take up an additional job when the Jobcentre tells them to they will lose their in-work benefits. If they do, they will get sacked from their other job. This is why the Tories want to scrap these kinds of zero hour contracts. So the DWP can start sanctioning part time worker’s benefits."
johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/why-the-tories-want-to-ban-zero-hour-contracts-and-its-got-nothing-to-do-with-workplace-rights/