Labour banging on about zero-hours contracts ...

[Euler]

Ed is calling them an "epidemic".

.

Typical of the innumeracy that plagues supposedly intelligent "arts" grads. Luckily for him a large proportion of the public are thick as planks too and won't notice.

[SunnyInHades]

If SNP get their way ZHCs will be shot ...

"SNP MPs will support the reintroduction of the 50p rate of tax"
"prioritise an immediate scrapping of the bedroom tax"
"vote to end the use of zero-hours contracts"
"weapons of mass destruction and we say no"

[d000hg]

... when they're only 2.3% of total jobs - and may well suit some people who need a bit of pocket money.

There we were thinking you were Sasguru, but it turns out Mr. Cameron is on CUK!

[Euler]

There we were thinking you were Sasguru, but it turns out Mr. Cameron is on CUK!

As Tories, at least we can do some arithmetic.
Unlike those Islington champagne socialist luvvies, what!

[scooterscot]

Which is really not much different to Labour bloating out the civil service.

The civil service don't help an economy to grow. The suck the life force out of it. Currently needs to be chopped in half.

[d000hg]

2% of jobs isn't a very relevant stat. Surely 0H contracts are disproportionately weighted towards minimum-wage jobs, and people on that level of income are the ones who will really be hurt by such things.

So breaking down the % of jobs that are 0H by salary would be useful.

[minestrone]

If SNP get their way ZHCs will be shot ...

"SNP MPs will support the reintroduction of the 50p rate of tax"
"prioritise an immediate scrapping of the bedroom tax"
"vote to end the use of zero-hours contracts"
"weapons of mass destruction and we say no"

The SNP promised to repay everyone's student loans and bring back grants just a few years ago.

In case you hadn't noticed they talk some amount of tulip.

[scooterscot]

The SNP promised to repay everyone's student loans and bring back grants just a few years ago.

In case you hadn't noticed they talk some amount of tulip.

What like the PM's guess that labour would increase everyones tax by £3000, that kind of tulip?

[pjclarke]

2% of jobs isn't a very relevant stat. Surely 0H contracts are disproportionately weighted towards minimum-wage jobs, and people on that level of income are the ones who will really be hurt by such things.

So breaking down the % of jobs that are 0H by salary would be useful.

Wiki has

In 2011, zero-hours contracts were prevalent in many parts of the UK economy:[14]

in the hotels and restaurants sector, 19% of all workplaces (up from 4% in 2004)
in the health sector, 13% (up from 7%)
in the education sector, 10% (up from 1%)
For domiciliary care workers, the incidence was reported to be as high as 55.7% of all workers during the period 2008–12.[15]

Between 1.8 and 5 million, depending on your definition and which survey you believe. Plus their dependents, quite a few votes there. Indeed, most of the increase in employment this parliament has been at the insecure end of the spectrum, agency work, zero hours and self employment, as companies lay off staff and hire them back as 'consultants'

[Euler]

Wiki has



Between 1.8 and 5 million, depending on your definition and which survey you believe. Plus their dependents, quite a few votes there. Indeed, most of the increase in employment this parliament has been at the insecure end of the spectrum, agency work, zero hours and self employment, as companies lay off staff and hire them back as 'consultants'

You're conflating agency work, zero hours and self-employment.
These are not all the same thing. Typical of lefty disingenuousness.
Some of those categories are quite high-paid.
My 2.3% figure (which is about 680000, nowhere near the vague 5 million figure you made up) came from this right-wing rag

2.3% means it's not a massive problem.