Low Wages And Short-Term Contracts

EDM number 1372 in 1994-95, proposed by Jim Cunningham on 10/07/1995.

That this House congratulates the TUC for its report, Misery From the Margins, on uncovering the scandal of poverty wages and, in many cases, no decent working conditions to speak of for part-time workers; further congratulates the West Midlands Low Pay Unit for its work in highlighting low pay in the Coventry area; is horrified that many of these people are paid a pittance, from ú1.75 per hour, and that it is not uncommon for employers to take on people on short-term, part-time contracts, and use them for long-term, full-time work; urges the Government to introduce legislation that would provide employment protection for part-time workers; calls on the Government to recognise that Britain's prospects are gloomy if the reliance on sweatshop economics increases; and demands that the Secretary of State for Employment accepts the basic necessity for a strong economy is a secure and enthusiastic workforce, otherwise, in the words of one part-time worker in the TUC report, `we can hold little hope for the future of the country.'.

This motion has been signed by a total of 99 MPs.