Re: Zero hour contracts.

Miliband needs to be careful he doesn't throw the baby out with the bathwater, Not all 'zero hours contracts ' are exploitative and they suit some people who willingly take them on, no one twists their arm.

There are some posts where it is essential that there is full staff cover at all times one example of this is in nursing homes .
If a member of staff calls in sick or there is some kind of emergency they need a 'bank' of trained reliable staff familiar with the residents who can go in at short notice . Agency/temporary staff can be used but they are costly and may not be familiar with the premises or residents so many establishments have a 'bank', a list of available people who can go in for a few hours or sometimes weeks . I was on the bank in three nursing homes .

My neighbour is a retired warden having worked in sheltered housing. She can and does go back to the place she once worked in at a moments notice again a 'zero hours contract'.

When working in a boarding school we had a list of retired matrons again available to come in at a moments notice to chaperone or house sit for hours days or weeks.
It also happens in many other places like bars and hotels , people willing to work if needed but having no fixed hours.

Re: Zero hour contracts.

There is a clear distiction between bank workers, who are with an agency and can be sent off to various places without having to rely on one specific employer and a zero hour contract which offers no guarantees but forbids the person to work for anyone else.

Re: Zero hour contracts.

Bank workers are not normally dependent on the income from working zero hours. It's totally unfair to expect an employee to wait by the phone hoping for some work and not be able to take other work.