Zero Hour Contracts: Freedom or Exploitation? | Question Time - BBC

Fiona Bruce presents an hour of topical debate from South Shields. On the panel: Norman Lamont, former chancellor of the exchequer 1990-93, and a Conservative peer since 1998; Richard Leonard MSP, leader of the Scottish Labour Party; Caroline Voaden MEP, Liberal Democrat; Kate Andrews, associate editor at the right-leaning Institute of Economic Affairs; and Ken Loach,award-winning film director.

Question Time | 24.10.19 | BBC

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[JH-tyic]

If a yanks in favour then you know it's exploitation. A worker didn't come up with this a boss did.

[Kelsdoggy]

I rely 100% on agency work. Nothing wrong with it. Don’t make it harder for me to get jobs! I use 2 or 3 main clients to supply me with work and make great money and am flexible to pick and choose my jobs.

[angusgow]

Waiting by the phone every morning till 8am to hear if I have work ( in an industry where the say the need more males in special needs schools). You take what they give you or you get put at the bottom of the call list. All the power is in the hands of the employer, work takes the crumbs.

[cheeseybeaver]

why did no one make this crucial point...
The difference between the 'employees' who like the flexibility and the 'employees' who suffer due to it;
- is largely down to their different economic positions and safety nets,
Those that like the flexibility appear to be using it to top-up their families earnings (e.g. a married mum) and enable them to have more cash to spend but which crucially don't rely on their zero hour's pay to survive.
vs those that despise their zero hours contracts because they are reliant on these wages to live and pay their rent, food & bills - and who's consequences of not having any hours is potentially catastrophic (homelessness)

Any solution must factor this in - you either need a flexible, accessible social safety net (i.e. unemployment benefit accessible within a week)
or you need to give the employee full choice over their contracted hours (i.e. they are allowed to set a minimum hours per week that suits them)

[akhenaten]

Peace be upon you fellow humans.
Wage slavery!!!
Best slaves are those who don't know they are enslaved.

[simonvalsler]

I've worked on a zero hour contract and have worked with lots of others who have also. I've never met anyone who would prefer a zero hour contract over having guaranteed hours.

This idea that lots of people like them is a complete myth driven by those on the right who have implemented such working practices.

[tomwright]

The people asking for zero hour contracts to be kept on are clueless. It's good they have benefitted from it. But when I worked on zero hours at Domino's I can tell you now the lack of hours can be hindering. Get rid of them!.

[sidtw]

who the bloody hell are these people who are saying they like zero hours?

[LilFoxyCosplay]

Worked zero hours contact in a shop and hated it they cancelled my first shift without telling me and were calling me on days I'd said I couldn't do it led to constant burnoutNever again

[justlistenfornow]

Zero Hour Contract is a mechanism for maximum labor exploitation. It was designed for the employers' benefit, not for employees' flexibility.

Zero Hour Contract empower employers to enslaves workers and kick the employees in the trash when they are no longer needed.

[Mike_]

Zero Hours contract are the next major scandal that we will look back on and shake our heads in shame

[roanbranje]

strijders iemand antwoorden van engels luistertoets 2023?

[paullogan]

This battle cry of "flexibility and convenience in my day was simply known as a part time job. It carried the benefit and protections of holiday pay sick pay etc. Zero hours contracts are a cancer on the hard fought for rights of the labour movement and is simply a way of getting around them.

[wovokanarchy]

Corporations run society, governments is their tool.

[stevewalsh-balshaw]

I'd give every politician a zero hour contract along with overpaid minor celebs

[iandanks]

She makes it sound like a choice of the hrs you work, you accept 0hrs one week and 70 hrs another and everything in between or you're fired, opt out of over 48hr week you're not employed, you have no choice to work part time it is forced if that is what they need. Also if they need 13hrs a day 7 days a week you do it or fired

[dolliciouscustoms]

brit : yes its exploitation.
American: no, get back to work!
I mean the hell she' been taking to that said they were happy? st have come from a country with pretty dire prospects if they think working in the modern day slave market is a good thing! and its not FLexible work, its unsecure work, your boss can turn around and say I don't need you tomorow and that's it boom job gone

[mardigbidanian]

The problem is very clear the UK is a country of 65-70 million people . This means that there is not enough decent jobs to go round. Hence there needs to be more investment to create opportunities for decent employement . Investment should come from companies and the government . There is too much competition for jobs in the UK

[ElectricInevitability]

Gig economies are exploitative... Simple as that. If you work full time at the same business for two months then they should be set on as permanent staff. Those who want to work that way fair enough but agencies are now being misused as years ago 80% of staff were permanent and agencies were for busy periods where maybe 20% were used.

It's now the other way round where most employees are being exploited on zero hour contracts now even though basically they work full time for the business.

[barml]

The man in the pink shirt doesn’t look short of money. He wasn’t asked what he’s doing in work. He wasn’t asked if he owned his own house.