Labour party debate on zero hour contracts

Research released earlier this month suggested that there could be around one million workers in the UK on zero-hours contracts - a marked increase on recently revised estimations from the Office of National Statistics of just 250,000*.

While many of the recent headlines around zero hour contracts have focused on the low paid service sector, education is the sector second most likely to employ workers on zero-hours contracts.

UCU said zero-hours contracts for lecturers in colleges and universities denied staff the financial security or stability to operate on a month-to-month basis and limited students' continuity with their teachers.

The department for business, innovation and skills (BIS) is currently conducting a review of zero hour contracts, which UCU will be contributing to.

UCU president, Simon Renton, said: 'The Labour party should be applauded for seeking further information on the murky world of zero hour contracts. UCU is currently conducting its own research to get a better grasp on just how prevalent they are in our colleges and universities, which we will share with Labour and the government.

'Employers cannot hide behind flexibility as a defence for their continued use. The flexibility is very much a one way street. Without a guaranteed income, workers on zero-hours contracts are unable to make financial or employment plans on a year-to-year, or even month-to-month basis.

'Zero-hours contracts are the unacceptable underbelly of further and higher education as staff are denied full employee status and key employment rights. Students miss out on a lack of continuity and often receive reduced access to staff employed on minimal hours.'