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Posted By: Mark Sports Direct: 90% of staff on zero-hour contracts - 29th Jul 2013 8:25am
Retail chain's 20,000 part-time workforce do not know how many hours they will work each week and have no holiday or sick pay

Sports Direct's entire 20,000 part-time workforce are employed on zero-hour contracts at a time when 2,000 full-time staff are about to cash in bonuses of up to £100,000.

The contracts, handed to 90% of the company's 23,000 employees, leave staff not knowing how many hours they will work from one week to the next, with no sick pay or holiday pay, and no guarantee of regular work.

Source click me

Zero Hour Contracts should be banned imo.
All they do is reduce the unemployed numbers. Its my understanding that the job center's see this as a valid employment opertunity. This is imo a real step backwards and profits the employer.
This is a complete disgrace and I agree with your comments Mark.

There used to be 'Temporary Agencies' that people would register with and if there was a need for certain skills,someone filling those skills would be contacted for empolyment on a temporary basis. Suited mums, with other commitments.We still have nursing banks, supply teachers, market research etc.employing people under the same conditions.
This, I suppose is on similar lines, but I think,totally unacceptable for the main workforce of any company.
The only answer is to register for about 4/5 different companies and maybe guarantee enough hours every week, but will the job centres allow that??? Looks as if we will have a workforce of part time employees ,(worse than what it already is).
How anyone would want to come to live in this country now, beggars belief! Most of us would be trying to dig our way out, if we could afford a spade!
Disgusting, Many years ago i worked for an agency that had a similar jig, Although i did accrue holiday entitlement, it used to start building from day one and after twelve weeks be calculated on hours worked, i have been self employed for 9 years so this may have changed. I would of Thought the staff at the said company would also accrue holiday entitlement. I wonder what acas's stance on this is.
I know someone who went for an job interview for Poundland and was offered a zero hour contract. Thankfully he applied elsewhere and got better job.
This zero hour contract business smacks of employers trying to get back to the 1930s where the dockers used to turn up hoping to be one of those selected for a days work.
If you are asked to come in for a few hours, your 1st hour wage would probably be swallowed up by transport costs.

I consider this a disgrace as well

Penny Streeter runs Ambition 24hours, which is one of many private-nursing firms. The 54-year-old made more than £5 million in one year alone. The Metro reported that she pays her salary by hiring out nurses to the NHS for as much as £120 per hour while taking up to two-thirds in commission. The NHS has spent billions on agency staff since the crunch started.
may help ?

http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/advice/practice-notes/holiday-entitlement/

http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/l/j/AL03_1.pdf

http://www.croner-i.croner.co.uk/croner-i/gateway.dll/hra-resources/hra-questions/hra-questions-content/hra-gold-questions-wkid-201302051609540224-54414021?f=templates$fn=hra-frameset.htm$3.0
One of my daughthers worked for them from 16-18 , they treat them like s*** ,no contract as already stated but expect to go in VERY short notice if someone s off , no breaks and you have to 'buy ' your uniform and DONT get payed for staff meetings etc .I,m proud of her work ethos, but she HAD to get out ... oh and a lot of favouritism regrading what hours you get and there on your back to keep busy for minimal wage,all the time and if you see 'lifting' your meant to deal with it because they 'save on electricity by switching alarms off. A BIT OF A RANT ...
Originally Posted by missmahjong
One of my daughthers worked for them from 16-18 , they treat them like s*** ,no contract as already stated but expect to go in VERY short notice if someone s off , no breaks and you have to 'buy ' your uniform and DONT get payed for staff meetings etc .I,m proud of her work ethos, but she HAD to get out ... oh and a lot of favouritism regrading what hours you get and there on your back to keep busy for minimal wage,all the time and if you see 'lifting' your meant to deal with it because they 'save on electricity by switching alarms off. A BIT OF A RANT ...


To my mind it would seem that this company are likely to be failing in any training regarding security. They should send people on courses so they know how to deal with certain incidents. The employee can be prosecuted don't forget ,if they should compromise anyone for whatever reason.I bet the companies won't have th employees insured against such incidents or happenings.
There is also the 'manual handling' issues. Health and safety courses are invaluable,as they really show how far these companies can or cannot push the employees. Don't forget, heavy lifting,of items, does not have to be done, if you think you are unable to do so. That is the law, and a lot more besides.Don't physically touch any member of the public even in a helping way. Could backfire. So much that people need to be aware of, if the companies are not likely to use them as scape goats.
Probably one of the reasons their stuff is so cheap and they are able to blow the competition away.
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/jul/30/buckingham-palace-zero-hours-contracts

The Biggest Scroungers in the U.K are at it now.
Just as a matter of interest how does a zero hours contract affect someone as regards benefits and claims and unemployed figures.
Say for instance your employer decided it was a bad week and thought it best to only have you in for 2 hours a day or less than 12 hours for the week.
Would you have to alter a claim for benefits each time this happened.
Can you still refuse to work on a Sunday on religious grounds

This doesn't affect me in any way as I'm retired ( thankfully)
http://www.unitetheunion.org/campaigning/saynotozerohourscontracts/
Log on to 38 degrees org they do petitions and blanket letters to employers such as sports direct, the more people we can get to sign the better. smile
This country is going backwards not forwards! As soon as I am able I am emigrating.
Originally Posted by Heswall1958
This country is going backwards not forwards! As soon as I am able I am emigrating.


Why do you think it will be better elsewhere. Its part of the New World Order which basically is happy to screw anyone anywhere for their ideology.
It's just a natural evolution of decades of people taking the pee on the sick , unions having too much power and stopping work , taking companies to court , litigation , costs, competition, recession.
People don't realise that long term actions bring consequences to work , life ,when they kick the arse out something of benefit.
In the future there'll be no benefits like the USA. It's inevitable.
Originally Posted by svenlock68
It's just a natural evolution of decades of people taking the pee on the sick , unions having too much power and stopping work , taking companies to court , litigation , costs, competition, recession.
People don't realise that long term actions bring consequences to work , life ,when they kick the arse out something of benefit.
In the future there'll be no benefits like the USA. It's inevitable.


Load of codswallop! The problem is that Unions have too little power to defend their members. Businesses now screw as much as they can out of their workers and keep coming back for a little more every year. If we all follow your attitude, then we really will be down at the US's level. The other way is to stand and fight. Demand a better standard of living for everyone.
Originally Posted by Touchstone
Originally Posted by svenlock68
It's just a natural evolution of decades of people taking the pee on the sick , unions having too much power and stopping work , taking companies to court , litigation , costs, competition, recession.
People don't realise that long term actions bring consequences to work , life ,when they kick the arse out something of benefit.
In the future there'll be no benefits like the USA. It's inevitable.
i totally agree with you touchstone

Load of codswallop! The problem is that Unions have too little power to defend their members. Businesses now screw as much as they can out of their workers and keep coming back for a little more every year. If we all follow your attitude, then we really will be down at the US's level. The other way is to stand and fight. Demand a better standard of living for everyone.
Use your head !? Who do you think has helped in the decline of people's rights ? The gov ! Companies and big business who don't care about people just profits have lobbied the lovely gov for years to get what they want.
That's what I'm saying the public play into these scumbags hands , I know all about it , I'm in the biggest union in uk , public cause problems and you end up with everything sliding the other way.
As I said before watch George carlins American dream video on YouTube. It was predicted years ago. Loads of rights == cause problems to gov/ companies ..,. Hey Presto === no rights.
Loads of benefits during labour === no benefits under cameron
It's a polarisation of things that's impossible to stop because its in powerful peoples interest not the workers.
I'm not validating it. I'm explaining it.
It's funny people moan alot about min wage in uk. Be thankful , as I've seen in NYC recently , it's not the USA type min wage £ 4 . 20 an hour !!!
Companies aren't interested in what people want. Just money.
Sometimes the gov want you to strike ! Look at the car crash Andy gilchrist made with the FBu a decade ago. " we want 30 k " well fireman got that and look at what they lost as a result.
my son got a job there about 4 months ago ..still hasn't been givin any hours . its a joke
Wirral council ...labour run have zero hours contract,....don't here them complaining much or the unite union
Most budgets in business is wages. Fact. Save money == get rid of people.
I'm British but I hate the uk it's turned into a consumer wasteland of heart less generic cities that ring the tills but go five miles its an economic and crime crap hole.
" the game is rigged, the tables tilted" as carlin said , years ago.
I hate it when students go on about tax evasion , it's legal for gods sake , it's in their interest to keep it up - - business the gov and corporations , don't bother with vodaphone it's your gov that's helping them.
They love to miss direct blame. There's laws drawn up to make the uk a better tax haven than Europe. Wake up !! You're getting shafted even more. It's unstoppable
Originally Posted by svenlock68
Most budgets in business is wages. Fact. Save money == get rid of people.
I'm British but I hate the uk it's turned into a consumer wasteland of heart less generic cities that ring the tills but go five miles its an economic and crime crap hole.
" the game is rigged, the tables tilted" as carlin said , years ago.
I hate it when students go on about tax evasion , it's legal for gods sake , it's in their interest to keep it up - - business the gov and corporations , don't bother with vodaphone it's your gov that's helping them.
They love to miss direct blame. There's laws drawn up to make the uk a better tax haven than Europe. Wake up !! You're getting shafted even more. It's unstoppable
Tax evasion is illegal, tax avoidance is legal.
It's just a word. Did you see panorama this week ? Did you know labour and cameron party is set up as a company to get tax benefits from accountant giants kpmg?
They're taking the pee everyday and you go about a word. It doesn't matter. Like all regulators in the uk. They're useless and weak. All these tax alliance advisors == no power to stop it
People are so dumb down by controlled media and polarised daily mail bigoted views. We make nothing , it's all sold off ,we just consume materialism like fat yanks.
Politicians == incompetent sycophants that feather their nest. Once found out , there's lots of tv jobs to do to get a pay check
We have a ninja generation ==no jobs / income / assets
We moan about the media but have sky in our homes , what happened with levenson... Nothing.
We keep voting in dick heads who rape our pensions jobs tax money etc etc and yet believe it'll change. We are the cash cow of their incompetence .
We go on about being animal lovers but that's only nice little dogs etc
Do we apply that to our pigs / dairy cows/ fish / horses ? No they're our food !
We still believe in the bogey man == all religion.
We believe our weak police force weak courts weak regulators have any say == no !!! Wake up.
We think we're powerful as a race yet a fire tsunami virus war wipes us off the earth rightly very easily
For me the dumbest animal on earth is humans. We never learn.
I'd advise anyone reading this thread who thinks the human race is top of the tree watch ; earthlings , food inc , inside job , our daily bread , Enron smartest guys in the room , Oliver stones south of the border , or even fiction from fact movies like casino jack about lobbyists.
Or the great awesome high intellect George carlins " religion is bull s h I t ,saving the planet , modern man , American dream , life is worth losing "
Boy was George right ( rip )
Without hijacking the original posters point .... Why has the uk got to this point ?! Because big companies with the influence and money have bullied the gov into it. People of influence and power want it this way to make max profits. We have no soul as a country anymore , we make some pricey cars and weapons. Oh yes and half our GDP is from guess what ,,,,? Banking. Exactly.
It's a big circle.
People on the dole aren't responsible for it or the old or public services or labour spending.. It's companies , banks etc etc.
Always remember humans are the biggest hypocrites .. We're moaning on here about poor wages but somewhere in the world a foreigner is working flat out to earn a pittance so we can enjoy our fave brand cheap products here. Always remember that .....
It could be far worse.
Funnily enough , my point was re enforced last night on bbc one.
poor people in Pakistan working 18 hour days illegally in locked cramped dangerous factories for 2 pound a day.....so I don't think weve got the right to complain.
One guy "were like prisoners/slaves making western clothes " he said
The west is often diss connected from the poverty / conditions/lack of welfare their consuming desire for cheap products causes.....but hey we don't care do we cause we don't see it.
Its the same with animal cruelty in slaughter houses ,a remote hidden world , as long as we don't see it.....we don't care, as long as our meat is cheap and we have the false marketed perception its treated well.
True poverty doesn't exist in the this country because if you open your eyes or travel a lot like I do you'll see people living in utter squalor with nothing.
"Poverty " here is going to a food banks, not having a big enough tv or enough dole.....
We've got it good.
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