Stormont’s economy minister is proposing a package of significant changes to employment law including an effective ban on zero hour contracts in Northern Ireland.
Conor Murphy set out the details in an Assembly statement on Monday.
He has launched a consultation with the aim of introducing new legislation in late 2025.
Zero hour contracts allow employers to hire staff with no guarantee of the hours they will work.
Mr Murphy said zero hour contracts could be replaced with a "banded hours’" system, similar to one in the Republic of Ireland.
Employment law reforms
Under that system a banded contract gives a worker the right to work an average of the hours in a specified band for 12 months.
There are eight bands covering a certain number of hours per week, for example, 6-11 or 11-16 hours per week.
The Labour Party has also promised to end "exploitative" zero hour contracts and "one sided flexibility" if it wins the general election.
Labour’s measures would not automatically apply in Northern Ireland as employment law is largely devolved.
Mr Murphy’s proposals also include the right to a week’s unpaid carers leave in any 12-month period, which would bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK.
Mr Murphy said it was his ambition that there should be paid carers leave but that would cost the Stormont budget up to £60m unless a similar scheme was introduced in Great Britain.
A further proposal is that people should have the right to request flexible working as soon as they start a job rather than having to wait six months.
Mr Murphy said this was a move which could help to tackle economic inactivity.
He is also suggesting that statutory paternity leave could be taken in two, one-week blocks rather than having to be taken in a single two-week block as at present.
The consultation will run until the end of September with the responses informing the draft legislation.
Gerry Murphy, from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said the proposals "would be the most substantial act from the NI Assembly for workers since devolution and the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement".
Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts said it was a "substantial and potentially far-reaching draft programme of legislation" which "must work for both business of all sizes and workers alike".
by masterqwerty1
4 comments
Zero hours that are true zero hours are incredibly useful for self employed people like creatives or entrepreneurs starting their own businesses online etc. as they let you work say between gigs for actors or musicians. Or if you’re selling enough online to get a business started but not to make a living. But the reality is that most zero hours contracts are not that flexible unfortunately
My da’s semi retired on a zero hour contract, which works perfectly for him. Some weeks, he’ll do 40 hours, others he can refuse and do his own thing.
Works well when plenty of work there, not so good when it starts to quieten down.
I actually hate this idea. Rich people that don’t understand how working class people work. I worked with a zero hours contract last year and made more money than i ever did in my contracted job. Now i have a contracted job but like to have my zero hours contract job on the side so i can pick up more shifts. Not everyone likes to be tied into a contract. I loved the freedom it gave me and have thought about going back many times. What they should really ban is variable hours contracts where employers can decide to cut your contracted hours on a whim so they can save money.
I worked in a chain where my hours were cut significantly, simply if the head chef didn’t like you. When I said I was going to fall behind on rent, he smirked and said “have you considered living in a hostel?” I found a new job shortly after, but they are absolutely open for abuse. They falsely advertised it as full time during the interview process too. Can’t wait to see the back of those parasitic contracts. They only work for students who have parents to fall back on