Nearly half of new jobs created in the NW since 2011 insecure, finds TUC

Nearly half of (47%) jobs created in the North West since 2011 have been in insecure work, according to new analysis recently published by the TUC. The analysis shows that between 2011 and 2016 employment in the region grew by 197,503. And that 93,517 of these were in insecure jobs - work without guaranteed hours or baseline employment rights.

The TUC estimates that there are now 339,608 people now work in insecure jobs in the region - up from 246,091 in 2011. That represents 1 in 10 workers in the North West. The TUC says this is being driven mainly by traditional industries - such as education, restaurant work and residential social care - rather than newer sectors.

The study, commissioned by the TUC from the Learning and Work Institute, defines insecure work as seasonal, casual, temporary or agency work, those on zero-hours contracts and low-paid self-employed workers.

The TUC says these contract types leave working people in the position where:

• Their wages can fluctuate without warning
• They find it hard to get their basic employment rights respected
• They miss out on key protections like sick pay; and
• They are at the mercy of bosses who can withdraw their hours or even take them off the job with no notice.

The TUC is today launching a new initiative for workers in the North West to share their experiences of insecure work anonymously. The findings of the survey will be presented in May. The TUC estimates that the rise in insecure work since 2006 is costing the UK exchequer £4bn year, with the government collecting billions less in tax revenues.

TUC Regional Secretary for the North West Lynn Collins said: "Insecure working in the North West has shot up in recent years. People need jobs they can live on. But if you don't know how much work you will have from one day to the next, making ends meet can be nightmare.

"Too many bosses in our region are getting away with shady employment practices. That's why we are asking people who feel vulnerable at work to share their stories confidentially with us. We need to keep the pressure up on government to improve protections for working people. Every day unions expose bad working conditions and win important victories for workers across the country."