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TUC calls on ministers to tackle insecure work and ban zero-hours contracts

Commenting on the ONS employment figures which show that there has been an increase in payrolled employees, but that these remain 200,000 below pre-pandemic levels, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady yesterday said:

“The jobs market is still fragile, with more than a million people still on furlough.

"Ministers should step up and provide targeted support for the industries still facing restrictions. We can't afford for more companies to go the wall, taking good jobs with them.

“And government must continue to use the furlough scheme to protect jobs, looking at extending the scheme if it’s still needed in September.

“As the economy opens up, we must build back better and fairer.

“We have 3.6 million people in insecure work – including many key workers. That’s one in nine people stuck in low-paid and high-risk jobs, often on contracts with few rights and no sick pay.

“We need to make sure people aren’t being driven into worst quality jobs. Now is the time to put an end to the scourge of insecure work by banning zero-hours contracts.”

Notes to Editors:

• The ONS statistics are available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/july2021
• The ONS data shows employee numbers in the hard- hit industries such as hospitality and the arts still over 10% lower than before the pandemic
• On Saturday, four years on from the Taylor Review, the TUC published new analysis showing 3.6 million people are in insecure work: www.tuc.org.uk/news/tuc-calls-government-finally-deliver-workers-rights-after-repeated-failures-four-years
• The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together the 5.5 million working people who make up our 48 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.

Contacts:

TUC press office 
media@tuc.org.uk  
020 7467 1248