Ministers urged to press ahead with ban on zero-hours contracts

Ministers should press ahead with a ban on zero-hours contracts, campaigners say, despite claims by business leaders that it would deter hiring and lock out more young people from the labour market. Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the union umbrella organisation the TUC were among eight signatories to a letter to the department of business and trade, calling on the government to “ignore the noise” from businesses, which want zero-hours contracts to remain. Last year, the Employment Rights Act gained royal assent, but many of the detailed provisions were left blank, allowing ministers to phase in implementation over a period of years. Peter Kyle, the business secretary, has overseen a delay in the launch of a planned consultation on zero-hours contracts that was due to begin in January. It is understood the department will ask for submissions before the end of the summer, before implementing new rules next year. Business leaders are concerned that delays in the consultation process will not give them time to adjust their workplace practices, if new rules are agreed. In the absence of a formal consultation process, the British Retail Consortium and UK Hospitality, the lobby group for restaurants and hotels, have written to Kyle saying reduced flexibility in work contracts will lead to fewer jobs. …