Stability of the UK economy is hindered, according to unions, who advocate for Labour's employment reforms amid concerns about insecure work.

In a recent address at the TUC Congress in Brighton, Paul Nowak, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), spoke about the pressing issue of insecure work in the UK, which he described as an "insecure work epidemic" that undermines economic stability and growth.

According to the TUC's analysis, the proportion of the wider workforce in insecure work increased from 10.7% to 11.7% from 2011 to 2024. The TUC defines insecure work as including zero-hours contracts, agency, casual, seasonal workers, and low-paid self-employed who miss out on key rights and protections. The number of people in insecure work in the UK increased by 800,000 during this period.

The Employment Rights Bill, currently being considered by Parliament, aims to address this issue. The Bill will ban exploitative zero hours contracts, give workers a right to a contract that reflects their regular hours, and provide workers with the right to compensation for cancelled shifts.

Paul Nowak also emphasized that when workers don't have job security, they tend to earn less and spend less. He claimed that the Tory experiment with low-paid, insecure work has been tested to destruction.

The TUC General Secretary stated that the insecure work epidemic is holding back workers and the economy. He highlighted that the Employment Rights Bill is needed due to the insecure work situation.

In addition, the TUC union body published new analysis showing that four million people are in insecure work in the UK. However, it's important to note that the analysis did not specify the type of insecure work it was referring to beyond those mentioned earlier.

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The Employment Rights Bill, if passed, will help tackle the issue of insecure work in the UK, contributing to a more stable and secure workforce and potentially boosting economic growth. The Bill is a significant step towards addressing the insecure work "epidemic" that Nowak highlighted in his speech at the TUC Congress in Brighton.