Sinn Féin: Ban zero hours contracts

Zero hours contracts need to be outlawed as a matter of urgency, Sinn Féin has warned.

The party’s Peadar Tóibín insisted the controversial work practice was adding to poverty levels. Mr Tóibín branded the Low Pay Commission “deficient” because it had not been charged with dealing with zero hours contracts.

“Zero hours contracts must come to an end. It is not by accident we have one of the highest levels of poverty in work in the EU. It is because the Government have allowed this to happen.

“Firms are using these to eke out an unfair competitive advantage, it is not about flexibility.

“Zero hours contracts are a cancer eating away at job security. They are anti-family, yet zero hours contracts are missing from the remit of the Low Pay Commission,” Mr Tóibín said, as he warned that 12% of workers were in danger of poverty.

The Sinn Féin deputy said the Dunnes Stores dispute was proof of why change was needed. He said

Sinn Féin had made it clear it wanted to ban the work practice in the North as well, and was not hypocritical on the issue.

Mr Tóibín said zero hours should be replaced with a banded system ensuring workers knew which hours they have and were paid according to the time they made themselves available.

Business Minister Ged Nash said a team at the University of Limerick has been tasked with advising the Government on minimum hour contracts: “It’s key objective is to fill the gap in knowledge in terms of hard data on zero hour and low-hour contracts in our economy and to enable me, as minister, to make evidence-based policy recommendations to Government.” This study is due before the end of the summer

Mr Nash said legislation guaranteeing collective bargaining rights will be brought forward soon.

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