The UK has seen an “explosion” in insecure, low-paid work in the past 14 years, according to a new report. The TUC said its study had found that the number of people in insecure work had reached a record high of 4.1 million.
The analysis of official statistics shows the number of people in “precarious” employment – such as zero-hours contracts, low-paid self-employment and casual or seasonal work – increased by nearly 1 million between 2011 and 2023.
Gosh! What else, I wonder, has expanded in that time period..? Could it be the sort of people who welcome this type of work?
The growth in insecure work since 2011 has been fuelled mainly by lower-paid sectors of the economy, said the report.
Bingo!
Nowak said that Labour’s “new deal for working people” was an “opportunity for a reset”. The opposition party’s plan includes bringing in a ban on zero-hours contracts and “fire and rehire” tactics as well as “introducing basic rights from day one to parental leave, sick pay, and protection from unfair dismissal”. The plan also aims to strengthen the rights of employees from the first day of their employment with a company. “As well as preventing workers from being treated like throwaway labour, it would stop good employers from being undercut by the bad,” Nowak said. “We must end the Conservatives’ race to the bottom on employment standards.”
You're a good head out in front in that race, you utter hypocrite.
"What else, I wonder, has expanded in that time period..? Could it be the sort of people who welcome this type of work?"
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be suggesting that people welcome job insecurity. Do you welcome it? No? If not, why do you think other people do?
The growth in insecure work since 2011 has been fuelled mainly by lower-paid sectors of the economy, said the report."Bingo!", you say.
Bingo? Does that mean "People who don't get paid much are really happy about it, and are made even happier if their jobs are insecure?"
-- spiro
"We won't solve the problem, we will come up with nice little knee jerks that only compound the problem"
ReplyDeleteAnd low paid workers will vote for labour thinking they will be guaranteed well paid permenent jobs, rather than the inevitable unemployment
Despite Corbyn being ousted from the Labour Party, the cynical side of me suggests he will be brought back into the fold as "an advisor" in a Labour government. With him and others like McDonnell, I can imagine life in this country being similar to the East Berlin I used to visit during my military days. We really are doomed.
ReplyDeletePenseivat
On the subject of zero hours contracts, I'm retired, and have both the state and workplace pensions. Sometimes, I get very bored. I do voluntary work to keep me occupied, and I have had zero hours contracts that are fine by me. They involve me being called in to adjudicate about workplace arguments (of a technical sort, not people falling out with each other). WHat's not to like?
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, as a main source of income, a zero hours contract is crap.
Well I blame the Conservatives but that is because they are now the opposite of Conservatives. They have presided over a period of sky high taxes, high energy costs which have been caused deliberately, and now our industrial base on which many well paid jobs depend is withering away or moving abroad. What does the TUC expect to happen as the UK economy is being deliberately and systematically destroyed on the altar of Net Zero? Rather than reverse this downward spiral Labour want to do even more of the same destructive activities.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous I
ReplyDelete"You seem to be suggesting that people welcome job insecurity."
Nope that is not what our host seems to be suggesting. I think your difficulty is that you think that is the only meaningful characteristic of this type of work. There are of course other features of this type of work, availability, flexibility, possibly anonymity and gainability if you've nicked an NI number and probably some I haven't thought of.
"You seem to be suggesting that people welcome job insecurity. Do you welcome it? No? If not, why do you think other people do?"
ReplyDeleteIt's called the black economy, and it's a draw for the flotsom & jetsom of the Third World, to supplement the benefits they get here.
But you knew that. You aren't stupid, you just like to pretend to be on the internet.
"And low paid workers will vote for labour thinking they will be guaranteed well paid permenent jobs, rather than the inevitable unemployment"
There's going to be a hell of a lot of buyer's remorse to come.
"...the cynical side of me suggests he will be brought back into the fold as "an advisor" in a Labour government..."
I don't think you'll have to wait long.
"...I have had zero hours contracts that are fine by me. They involve me being called in to adjudicate about workplace arguments (of a technical sort, not people falling out with each other). WHat's not to like?"
Oh, yes, they work for people who want to supplement their income or just keep active.
"Well I blame the Conservatives but that is because they are now the opposite of Conservatives."
And as a result, they are now the opposite of 'in Government'!
"...gainability if you've nicked an NI number and probably some I haven't thought of"
Good point!