Theresa May announced on Wednesday that ‘We are proud to have record levels of employment this country but we must also ensure that rights are always upheld’. This is pure political point scoring, and should be taken with a very large dose of salt. For several years now the government has peddled the myth that employment measures in our country, such as zero hour contracts, favour the employee.
The reality is that zero hour contracts still favour the employer, and play a significant role in the manipulated employment figures presented to the public by the government. Theresa May, and David Cameron before her, have constructed a narrative of a fruitful, flexible relationship between the employer and employee in terms of their relationship in zero hours contracts. In truth, many twenty somethings like myself, having worked under these contracts for various companies, are being exploited.
According to The Times, ‘the government said it was proceeding with almost all recommendations including giving zero hour and agency workers the right to request a more stable contract’.
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