THE Scottish Government yesterday pledged to do everything it can to end the use of zero-hours contracts as figures showed fewer Scots are on the deals.
Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found the use of zero-hours contracts is falling in Scotland, contrasting with an overall rise in the practice across the UK.
According to the ONS, around 51,000 Scots are on the contracts, which do not guarantee a minimum number of hours of employment.
This amounts to 1.9 per cent of the country’s workers and is lower than the 2.4 per cent figure for the UK as a whole.
Overall, there has been a six per cent rise in the use of zero-hours contracts by firms in the UK during the last year, with 1.5 million such deals in place in January compared with 1.4 million the previous year.
Fair Work secretary Roseanna Cunningham urged Westminster to act but warned Scottish employers must also change their practices.
She said: “Today’s figures show that Scotland has the lowest proportion of people on zero-hours contracts which is a real step in the right direction. The latest statistics for the first quarter of 2015 show 1.9 per cent of people in employment are in a zero-hour contract, while in the last quarter of 2014, 2.3 per cent of people in employment were on a zero-hour contract.
“However, we are not complacent and we fully recognise the detrimental impact that inappropriate zero-hours contracts can have on people’s ability to participate effectively in the workforce or even wider society.
“While employment law remains reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is doing everything we can to promote good working practices with the powers available to us.
“This includes publishing practical guidance on public procurement that includes better promotion of fair workplace practices and discouraging inappropriate contracts through the Scottish Business Pledge.
“I would urge firms to consider the impact of such contracts on their staff and for more to be done by Westminster to restrict their use.”
The ONS estimated 744,000 people in the UK in work between April and June 2015 were on zero-hours contracts.
The figure marks a 19 per cent year-on-year rise but statisticians said the rise could be in part down to greater recognition of the terminology. Most of those in such employment were women, in full-time education and aged either 16-25 or 65 and over.
Around 40 per cent of such workers said they wanted more hours, with most employed for 25 hours per week.
Firms with more than 250 staff were more likely to hand out such contracts.
The Scottish Trade Unions Congress said the figures showed the need for a thorough examination of the labour market.
General secretary Grahame Smith said: “The growing prevalence of insecure employment is laid bare by the statistics published today which show a massive 19 per cent increase in the number of people employed on a zero-hours contract in the last year alone.
“It really is time for politicians at all levels to quit trumpeting ‘record employment levels’ and actually start interrogating what is happening in the labour market.
“There has been a discernible increase in low wage, precarious employment over the last decade. The consequent impact on poverty, inequality and wellbeing has been severe.
Some may find it mildly encouraging that the rate of zero-hours employment is lower in Scotland than for other nations and regions of the UK but what really matters is the rate of increase. There is no room for complacency.”
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