One-sided Flexibility in the Labour Market

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me recently about insecure employment.

I agree that this is an important issue. As War on Want notes, there are too many people on contracts where they cannot be certain what work they will get in the future. The TUC has found that 3.7 million people – one in nine workers in the UK – work in insecure jobs, while polling for the GMB union has shown that – using a wider definition of insecure work – the number could be as high as ten million. I believe it is a national scandal that so many people could be left not knowing how much they will earn from week to week, unable to budget for basic necessities and unsure if they can pay the rent. I therefore agree that we should ensure all workers have the same rights at work, as well as guaranteed hours.

I share your concerns about the Taylor review of modern employment practices and the Government’s response to it. I believe it is a massive missed opportunity. I had hoped for proposals that would not only make our workforce feel secure, but also ensure their skills and effort were genuinely valued. Unfortunately, the Government’s plans do not deliver the radical new framework of employment law we need to protect workers. As the TUC has said, they will not shift the balance of power in the economy.

At the 2017 general election, I stood on a manifesto that pledged to give all workers equal rights from day one, whether part-time or full-time, temporary or permanent, so that working conditions are not driven down. I also committed to banning zero-hours contracts so that every worker gets a guaranteed number of hours each week. I can therefore assure you that I will continue to press the Government for real action to improve the lives of the millions of people in insecure work and an end to contracts that allow the exploitation of workers.

Thank you once again for contacting me and for sharing your views.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP