Stan Tamudo   10 #25 Posted January 9, 2013 Well I would tell them to shove it! how can anyone construct any kind of life you when literally do not know from one day to the next what you're going to be working?  It's something that always puzzles me, the Tories have always gone on about the family and stability but how can you plan for a family and have stability if you're unsure that you're going to be in employment next week? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
southcoast   10 #26 Posted January 9, 2013 Think I might have a word with the job centre and see what the options are. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
gnvqsos   10 #27 Posted January 9, 2013 To be fair there's a big difference. Most of these zero hour contracts are in minimum wage type jobs and the people doing them are on very low incomes. Granted I don't know exactly what hours I'll be working for any given month or exactly how much firewood I'm going to sell but I know the bills are going to get paid. Someone on minimum wage who may get 20 hours work one week and none the next may quickly find themselves getting into debt or failing to meet their obligations. People should work, but I don't think it's reasonable to expect them to sit by the phone every day waiting for a call that may or may not come to get themselves in for a couple of hours work.  Moreover there will be no fringe benefits in such work,no sick pay,no holiday pay,and these factors will breed a very sullen workforce.It is done to suit employers who are not smart enough to plan ahead and find activities to keep staff fully occupied.Like most of these clever ideas the practice began in the USA,and is advocated by the wealthy and privileged. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
maxmaximus   10 #28 Posted January 9, 2013 (edited) Many a true word spoken in jest; a section of society really do think the purpose of our existence is to make British industry competitive.  The purpose of our existence is to survive and breed, now if you can achieve that in Britain with British industry then they don't need to be competitive, but if you can't achieve that on your own then it’s in your interest that they are competitive. Edited January 9, 2013 by maxmaximus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Stan Tamudo   10 #29 Posted January 9, 2013 The purpose of our existence is to survive and bread.  Is that wholemeal or white? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
maxmaximus   10 #30 Posted January 9, 2013 Is that wholemeal or white?  White. ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
That easy   10 #31 Posted January 9, 2013 Is that wholemeal or white?  Best of both. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
donkey   10 #32 Posted January 9, 2013 The purpose of our existence is to survive and bread, now if you can achieve that in Britain with British industry then they don't need to be competitive, but if you can't achieve that on your own then it’s in your interest that they are competitive.  Too right. Keep driving down wages and working conditions, and before you know it we'll be able to compete with Bangladesh in textile manufacturing. It's the way forward. The rot started setting into this once great nation after they banned child labour. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
andygardener   10 #33 Posted January 9, 2013 People have mobiles these days and if I was to employ someone I wouldn't know days in advance when I needed them, I get a can get a call from a customer that wants my services that day and I couldn’t afford to have someone sat round on the pay role waiting for that call. There are days when I could employ someone but it wouldn’t be worth the hassle, so I tend to turn the work down. I’m sure though that there are many unemployed people that do this kind of thing on the fiddle.  Of course from an employers point of view it's advantageous. In a business like mine with season and weather related vagueness there are plenty of times when I can't afford employees sat about and times where I could do with three people on the end of the phone to pull in for busy times. But that's life when you're self employed, I don't personally think its fair to tell someone they have a job, which may pay them nothing for weeks on end and expect them to be on call. Bear in mind it's not the likes of us using these contracts, it's big firms like the supermarkets that are using them to squeeze the last ounce of productivity out of their ("tax credit" subsidised) workforce in exchange for a lot of uncertainty for the staff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
southcoast   10 #34 Posted January 9, 2013 I think G4S use zero contracts too,not good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
ricgem2002 Â Â 11 #35 Posted January 9, 2013 the workers of this country need to stand together and tell this gov to stuff it. i wonder how many on here think these conditions are the way forward for some,until it happens to them then start screaming blue murder about how unfair it is ? take a look around your workplace and see how many agency workers there is ? then think will i be the next agency worker to be employed there/ somewhere else because your job has gone Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
andygardener   10 #36 Posted January 9, 2013 Moreover there will be no fringe benefits in such work,no sick pay,no holiday pay,and these factors will breed a very sullen workforce.It is done to suit employers who are not smart enough to plan ahead and find activities to keep staff fully occupied.Like most of these clever ideas the practice began in the USA,and is advocated by the wealthy and privileged.  I'm not sure about sick pay but I do know holiday pay is based on actual hours not contracted hours. (I think it's a 12 week average but not 100% sure)  Which does bring up another issue given that many people on zero hour contracts will be receiving benefits, the admin cost for the taxpayer in continually adjusting benefit payments up and down to match the hours worked (or not as the case may be).  If we're going to keep this "tax credit" system which I didn't really know anything about till the other day when a thread prompted me to look into it and is nothing to do with tax, it's just another benefit for people on low pay/low hours and thus subsidy for people paying low wages then I think we're doing more than enough to help low paying employers without costing ourselves a load of money in admin as they dick their staff about to save a few quid here or there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...