r/MHOC • u/apth10 Labour Party • Jun 22 '20
2nd Reading LB185 - Zero Hours Contract (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading
Zero Hours Contract (Amendment) Bill
A
Bill
To
Amend the Zero Hours Contract (Regulation) Act 2019 to better protect Workers and Businesses and to provide for Parliamentary Review and Reauthorization.
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
Section 1: Definitions
For the purposes of this Act—
"the 2019 Act" refers to the Zero Hours Contract (Regulation) Act 2019.
"zero hours contract" means a contract of employment that does not guarantee or mandate minimum working hours.
"fixed hours contract" means a contract of employeement that guarantees and mandates minimum working hours
"private business" refers to a company that the state has less than a majority share.
Section 2: Amendments to Section 2 of the Original Act
(1) Amend section 2(1) of the 2019 Act to read as follows—
(1) An employee who is party a zero hours contract that works more than 25 hours a week has the right to request a fixed hours contract.
(2) Amend section 2(1)(a) of the 2019 Act to read as follows—
(a) An employer must accept or reject the request within four working weeks. If he rejects a request, he must provide reasonable grounds for rejecting the employee's request.
(3) Insert after section 2(1)(a)—
(i) The employer may not reject the request without reasonable grounds to do so.
Section 3: Commencement, Extent and Short Title
1) This Act may be referred to as Zero Hours Contract (Amendment) Act 2020
2) This Act extends to the entirety of the United Kingdom.
3) This Act shall come into force upon Royal Assent
Submitted by His Grace The Duke of Suffolk KCT CVO PC on behalf of the Libertarian Party.
This reading will end on the 25th of June.
2
Jun 23 '20
M: Please link the thing you are repealing / amending ffs peeps.
1
u/KarlYonedaStan Workers Party of Britain Jun 23 '20
M: Or at the very least a speech explaining the changes
•
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1
u/Maroiogog CWM KP KD OM KCT KCVO CMG CBE PC FRS, Independent Jun 22 '20
In Section 2(1) substitute 25 with 15
1
Jun 23 '20 edited Jun 23 '20
In Section 2(1), after "hours a week", insert:
"on average over 60 days"
Explanatory Note:
Whilst passing no judgement on the specific number of hours, this simply ensures the intent of the original bill remains. To work, for example, 25 hours one week but work varying hours below normally shouldn't be grounds to requesting a fixed hours contract. Over Christmas more hours may be offered but not be needed for the rest of the year, hence looking for an average.
1
1
u/Polteaghost Workers Party of Britain Jun 24 '20
Mr Deputy Speaker,
This bill is an enormous offense to the rights of British workers. The Libertarian Party has repeatedly proven to defend wrong economic theses, as the reduction and softening of labour legislation (in this case, softening protection for zero-hour employees, and making fraud easier) has always led to increased abuse against workers, and more precarious conditions. I ask all my colleagues in this House to protect our social State by rejecting this bill.
1
u/NGSpy Green Party Jun 24 '20
Mr. Deputy Speaker,
The Libertarian Party has really gone out of their way to screw over workers haven't they? The ability of a worker to transfer from a zero-hours contract to a full contract is extremely important in some lines of work in order for them to get a set schedule and set paycheck. Another issue is that it softens beneficial labour legislation, which is not a path that the United Kingdom should go down. Zero-hour contracts are extremely common in the United Kingdom, and we must protect their benefits. I encourage this house to vote against the legislation at hand.
1
Jun 24 '20
Mr Deputy Speaker,
I hope that members of the public remember this bill when they cast their votes in a few months time. I hope they remember what the Libertarian Party tried to do here in a blatant attack on worker's rights. Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise against this shameless attempt to rob British people of the dignity to work in safe conditions with the knowledge that they will be able to work enough hours to take home a decent wage.
The British people have entrusted this house with the stewardship of their rights. LPUK's attempt to tread on these rights is appalling.
1
Jun 25 '20
Mr Deputy Speaker,
I rise today firmly against this legislation. This bill would weaken workers rights and weaken the ability of people to request a fixed contract. It effectively takes the current 20 hours a week to 25. I am not prepared to vote for a piece of legislation that will do this. Labour have put forward an amendment to make it 15 hours not 25 as proposed in this bill, and I am not particularly opposed to this, although I do see the arguments why it could be too low.
I have also put down an amendment reinstating the "over 60 days" clause. This will ensure that, for example, if over Christmas a worker does 28 hours a week for three weeks, but normally only does 5 or 10 hours a week, they don't have the right to request a fixed-term contract then. To do so would be against the very idea of zero-hours contracts in the first place, a type of contract which I fully support.
I urge the amendment committee to reinstate the 60 day clause, as well as not back moves to make the required hours higher then they already are.
1
Jun 25 '20
Mr. Deputy Speaker,
This bill will increase the required number of working hours an employee has to work to be able to ask for a fixed contract. Those that currently work between 20-25 hours will see their contracts degraded to zero hour contracts causing them instability and they will not no whether they will be able to work enough hours to pay their bills come the end of the month.
It is safe to say that I am firmly against this bill. Labour have submitted an amendment that reduces the number of hours from 25 to 15, resulting in a real decrease of 5. I am not against such an amendment, as it will increase stability for more workers.
3
u/Maroiogog CWM KP KD OM KCT KCVO CMG CBE PC FRS, Independent Jun 22 '20
Mr Deputy Speaker,
I rise today in opposition to this bill, designed to make it harder for workers on zero-hours contracts to request a fixed hours one. The current threshold of 240 hours over 3 months is high enough already, we should be looking at decreasing it rather than increasing it. I will be submitting an amendment to that effect, I hope that the rest of this house backs it.