35% annual jump in zero hours contracts in Wales: Wales TUC calls for ban

The number of people employed on zero hours contracts in Wales has risen by more than a third in the space of just 12 months, new figures have revealed. 

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 50,000 people across Wales are on a zero hours contract. This is up from 37,000 in 2018 and represents 3.4% of people in employment in Wales – the highest rate on record.

Julie Cook, Wales TUC National Officer, said:

“Everyone deserves certainty about the hours they’ll work each week, so it’s unacceptable that we’ve seen the number of zero-hours contracts in Wales going up by more than a third in just one year.

“The vast majority of people on zero-hours contracts want out. The only flexibility they offer is flexibility that works for employers.

“We need the next UK Government to stamp out these unfair contracts. Working people in Wales need solid jobs with guaranteed hours.”

We are calling on the next UK Government to introduce:

• A ban zero-hours contracts.
• Reasonable notice period for shifts, and payment for cancelled shifts.
• Increased enforcement of workers’ rights.
• Easier trade union access to workplaces to tell workers how joining a trade union can improve their life at work.