'Two-Tier' Workforce
19 December 2014
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has released a report showing that workers on temporary and zero-hours contracts are earning substantially less than permanent staff.
The growth of zero-hours contracts is one of the main reasons why working people have seen their living standards worsen significantly in recent years.The findings in The Decent Jobs Deficit report show that workers on zero-hours contracts earn on average £300 less per week than permanent staff, and are five times more likely miss out on statutory sick pay as a result.
Frances O’Grady, TUC General Secretary, said: ‘While it is good to see employment rising, if the UK doesn’t create more well-paid jobs with regular hours, we will continue to have a two-tier workforce where many people are stuck in working poverty’.