Ed Balls : Tue Jun 17, 2014 11:18 am  

“Just in this area, thousands are working with this kind of contract. It puts a real strain on working families and cause huge anxiety and uncertainty. Each week they don’t know whether there will be enough work to feed their kids or pay for childcare. I want to see this issue looked at properly and action taken so that these kinds of contracts are the exception rather than the rule. It’s no way for Britain to compete in the global economy in the 21st century. Anyone who’s affected and wants me to look into their case should get in touch by emailed ed@edballs.com or call 0113 253 9466.”

“Just in this area, thousands are working with this kind of contract. It puts a real strain on working families and cause huge anxiety and uncertainty. Each week they don’t know whether there will be enough work to feed their kids or pay for childcare. I want to see this issue looked at properly and action taken so that these kinds of contracts are the exception rather than the rule. It’s no way for Britain to compete in the global economy in the 21st century. Anyone who’s affected and wants me to look into their case should get in touch by emailed ed@edballs.com or call 0113 253 9466.”

Re: Ed Balls : Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:24 pm  

But I thought some time ago that David Cameron had stated that in his opinion zero or low hours contracts should only be a last resort, does this mean that unscrupulous business owners just ignore our PM ?

Re: Ed Balls : Thu Jun 19, 2014 9:37 am  

I was working on a zero hours contract in 1999, under the last Labour government.

[DaveO]

Re: Ed Balls : Thu Jun 19, 2014 12:20 pm  

EHW wrote:

I was working on a zero hours contract in 1999, under the last Labour government.

And?

The issue has been their widespread adoption as the preferred mode of employment as opposed to their use when it may actually be appropriate and even suit both parties.

A neighbour works for M&S and she was telling us the other day staff are being moved onto zero hours contracts (or new staff taken on are employed this was when previously not the case) which is just wrong and is exactly what Balls is on about.

Re: Ed Balls : Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:35 pm  

DaveO wrote:

And?

And I thought this was going to be a thread about someone crashing into another car and driving off without leaving their details.

Re: Ed Balls : Sun Jun 29, 2014 11:46 am  

If there's a reduction in zero hours contracts will that mean that we will retain the healthy employment levels but with people on improved and more secure terms and conditions, or will we have an increase in people actually working zero hours.

Re: Ed Balls : Sat Jul 05, 2014 12:56 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

If there's a reduction in zero hours contracts will that mean that we will retain the healthy employment levels but with people on improved and more secure terms and conditions, or will we have an increase in people actually working zero hours.

Quite a bit of the former and a little bit of the later.
Places like your big supermarkets will still need the bodies to do the work.