The Trades Union Congress has issued a warning about the need to safeguard workers’ rights from what they call “cynical” attacks by the Conservative Party. According to new data released by the TUC ahead of their annual conference in Brighton, approximately 4 million individuals, equivalent to 1 in 8 of the workforce, are currently engaged in insecure employment. The TUC emphasizes that insecure work is widespread throughout the UK and has negative implications for both employees and the economy.

Insecure work, as defined by the TUC, encompasses individuals on zero-hours contracts, agency workers, casual and seasonal employees (excluding those on fixed-term contracts), and low-paid self-employed individuals who lack essential rights and protections. This type of employment has significantly increased under the Conservative government, with a rise of 800,000 individuals from 2011 to 2024.

The surge in low-paid jobs within sectors such as care, leisure, service, and elementary roles has led to a 77% upsurge in insecure job positions. Furthermore, black and minority ethnic (BME) workers have been disproportionately impacted by this trend. Between 2011 and 2024, the percentage of BME workers in insecure employment has escalated from 12.2% to 16.3%, with BME workers constituting 70% of the overall rise in insecure employment.

The TUC is now calling on the government to resist the cynical assaults on the Employment Rights Bill, which is currently undergoing parliamentary debates. Conservative and Liberal Democrat Peers have attempted to weaken key rights for workers in the House of Lords. TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak stressed the importance of the Employment Rights Bill, stating that it is crucial in combatting the prevalence of insecure work by prohibiting exploitative zero-hours contracts, extending protections to agency workers, and offering essential safeguards such as day one sick pay and protection against unfair dismissal and harassment.