Daily Record

Two faces of Theresa

Mastermind behind May’s jobs review backs zero-hours contracts .. making a mockery of PM’s bid to be champion of workers’ rights

- TORCUIL CRICHTON Westminste­r Editor

THERESA May’s bid to rebrand herself as the workers’ friend flopped yesterday as the author of her employment review backed zero-hours contracts.

Matthew Taylor – who conducted a nine-month study of employment practices – issued a report telling bosses they had “nothing to fear”.

He came out in support of the notoriousl­y exploitati­ve zero-hours contracts which provide no security on pay or hours.

And he dismissed the warnings of unions that they are a “national crisis”.

Taylor said: “We did look at banning things and various ways of saying there should be a minimum number of hours available.

“But our view was this approach would not only be denying people who want to work in flexible ways the right to do so, but create new cliff edges.”

He insisted that 60-70 per cent of those on zero-hours contracts choose to work in this way and that banning them would be like taking “a sledgehamm­er to crack a nut”.

Taylor looked into the so-called gig economy and said some workers – who have just one employer but are only paid when on a task – should be classed as “dependent contractor­s” and given extra protection.

His report recommends firms who control and supervise their workers should offer them a range of benefits, including National Insurance.

Taylor said one of his key findings was that the gig economy put too much power into the hands of employers.

He said: “Of all the issues … the one that came through most strongly was what the report calls one-sided flexibilit­y.

“This is where employers seek to transfer all risk on to the shoulders of workers in ways that make people more insecure and makes their lives harder to manage.

“It’s the people told to be ready for work or travelling to work, only to be told none is available.”

May said the Government would look at Taylor’s recommenda­tions seriously but critics said the report ducked the challenge

Jeremy Corbyn said it was a huge missed opportunit­y to tackle the growing problem of insecure employment.

The Labour leader said: “We set out a 20-point plan to transform the workplace and protect and improve workers’ rights.

“By abolishing employment tribunal fees, scrapping zero contracts and giving rights to all workers from day one, we would halt and reverse the spread of exploitati­on in the gig economy.”

Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey said: “In the words of the general secretary of Unite, the biggest union in the UK, instead of the serious programme urgently needed to ensure that once again work pays in this country, we got a depressing sense insecurity is the inevitable new norm.”

She added: “Indeed, the prime minister confirmed that she might not even accept all of the proposals in the Taylor report in any event.

“The report, while positive in sentiment across many areas, misses many opportunit­ies to clamp down on exploitati­on in the workplace.”

STUC general secretary Grahame Smith said the report had not gone far enough to offer any real hope.

Smith added: “Perhaps the most positive recommenda­tion is for the equalisati­on of pay for agency workers and sick pay for the lowpaid. The Government must fully and robustly deliver on this through legislatio­n.

“Our greatest concern is the lack of any meaningful action to clamp down on zero-hours contracts.

“The ‘right to request guaranteed hours’ betrays a profound misunderst­anding of the extent of the problem and no awareness of the pressure workers are put under when trapped in such contracts.”

“Ultimately it is workers’ collective organisati­on and union membership which will guarantee greater security”

 ??  ?? THINKING POSITIVE May smiles as she takes questions on the report
THINKING POSITIVE May smiles as she takes questions on the report
 ??  ?? AUTHOR Matthew Taylor
AUTHOR Matthew Taylor
 ??  ?? SINKING FEELING A worried look, maybe as reality of the situation sets in
SINKING FEELING A worried look, maybe as reality of the situation sets in

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