DEL Will Not Ban Zero Hours Contracts

Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry has said his department will not seek to ban zero hours contracts in Northern Ireland.

The contracts allow employers to hire staff with no guarantee of work.

But the Department is seeking to table legislation that will ban exclusivity clauses in contracts that do not guarantee any hours, meaning employees will be free to engage in other forms of work.

They also include the right for a worker to request a fixed working pattern if that is what they have worked over a period of time, as well as an obligation on employers to review a regular working pattern with a view to converting it to a fixed hours contract.

The Minister said: "The people who suffer most on zero hours contracts are those who are in low paid work who have few choices as to the work that they accept. It is vital that government intervenes in this instance to ensure that the rights of these vulnerable employees are protected in what is a fast moving labour market.

"In addition to considering prohibiting the use of exclusivity clauses that prevent people on some zero hours contracts taking other types of work, I am considering proposing that after a certain period of time the employer has to provide an objective reason as to why a person should not be moved from a zero hours contract to a more formalised contract with a guaranteed number of hours.

"The protections I am considering for the rights of workers go further than those in the rest of the UK. It demonstrates the innovative approach we are taking in Northern Ireland to protect the employment rights of vulnerable workers."

But in relation to why his department would not seek an outright ban on zero hours contracts, Dr farry said: "Such a ban could have unintended consequences in relation to individuals and employment opportunities."

(IT/CD)