Britain’s Labour makes poll pledge on job security
3 April 2015 4:56 AM IST
The centre-left Labour Party leader was speaking at an engineering equipment factory in Huddersfield on a campaign stop ahead of next month’s general election.
“I think there’s no greater symbol for an economy that doesn’t work for many people than zero hours contracts,” Miliband told the factory workers. Under these contracts, the employer can vary the employee’s working hours, usually anywhere from full-time to “zero hours”.
Miliband promised that Labour would pass a law in its first year of government granting employees regular contracts after 12 weeks of working regular hours.
The ruling Conservative Party said that only one in 50 jobs in Britain are under this type of contract and that the government has already tackled abuses. PM Cameron has made economic achievements a cornerstone of his campaign, touting healthy growth and tumbling unemployment, but Labour said the recovery has benefited rich while many Britons are stuck in a “cost of living crisis”.
“I think there’s no greater symbol for an economy that doesn’t work for many people than zero hours contracts,” Miliband told the factory workers. Under these contracts, the employer can vary the employee’s working hours, usually anywhere from full-time to “zero hours”.
Miliband promised that Labour would pass a law in its first year of government granting employees regular contracts after 12 weeks of working regular hours.
The ruling Conservative Party said that only one in 50 jobs in Britain are under this type of contract and that the government has already tackled abuses. PM Cameron has made economic achievements a cornerstone of his campaign, touting healthy growth and tumbling unemployment, but Labour said the recovery has benefited rich while many Britons are stuck in a “cost of living crisis”.
Next Story
