Ministers step up bid to end 'exploitative' zero-hours contracts for 1m workers

Angela Rayner is preparing for another round of discussions with trade unions and business leaders as the Government pushes forward with its mission to eradicate "exploitative" zero-hours contracts.

The Deputy Prime Minister, alongside Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, will engage in talks with general secretaries from Britain's leading trade unions and representatives from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) this Wednesday afternoon. This forms part of the Government's ongoing commitment to enhance workers' rights.

This meeting marks the latest in a series of dialogues with unions and businesses regarding employment rights, with more expected in the upcoming weeks. However, no significant announcements are anticipated from Wednesday's meeting.

Labour's manifesto pledged to ban "exploitative zero-hours contracts" as part of its broader "Make Work Pay" agenda, with proposed reforms likely to feature in an Employment Rights Bill introduced within the party's first 100 days in office.

Labour also stated it would seek advice from businesses and unions on its plans prior to passing legislation, a process which commenced last month. Attendees at Wednesday's meeting include TUC general secretary Paul Nowak, general secretaries of Unison, Usdaw, NASUWT and Community unions, CBI chief executive Rain Newton-Smith, and FSB policy and advocacy chair Tina McKenzie.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade declared: "This Government has set out an ambitious agenda to update workers' rights to fit the modern economy and make work pay. This includes ensuring those who want to work flexibly can, while ending one-sided flexibility and exploitative zero-hours contracts."

"We will work together with businesses to ensure workers have a contract that reflects the number of hours they regularly work while allowing them to remain on a zero hours contract if they decide this is what suits their needs."

In the UK, roughly one million individuals are reportedly on zero-hours contracts, as per figures from the Office for National Statistics, making up about 3.1% of all employed people. Back in August, the TUC conducted a survey which suggested the majority of workers on zero-hours contracts were keen to transition to regular working hours.