agree, they're BS. They're not new though

I was on the same set up 12 years ago, but through a temping agency rather than direct with the employer.

It is a noticeable problem now as the economic situation has been such that there have been too few jobs for too many available workers. It's simple supply/demand economics.

Which is just one reason why Labour won't be able to put a stop to the practice - it has always existed and will always continue to exist. If you ban Zero Hours Contracts, you'll get One Hour Contracts. Bring in the 12 week rule that Miliband is talking about, and you'll get people being sacked at 11 weeks and 6 days, then re-hired a week later. Find some other way of banning them, and employers will go back to the temping agency model. All Labour will achieve is higher employment costs resulting in depressed wages/fewer jobs available/remaining employees being worked harder/higher costs to consumers. The employers sure as hell aren't going to absorb the cost.

Create more jobs and the problem will largely fall away. The 1/3 of those on ZHC who don't like them will find better jobs, and the 2/3 on ZHC who like them can continue as they are.

For the record, I disapprove of ZHC and the exploitation that the current economic environment encourages.

Posted By: CWC, Apr 2, 14:26:27