Thousands of jobs in London deemed unstable or precarious

Thousands of jobs in London deemed unstable or precarious

In a bid to improve the financial stability of workers in London, Citizens UK, the UK's largest people-powered campaign group, has unveiled a series of policies aimed at addressing the challenges posed by insecure jobs, variable working hours, and shift cancellations.

According to research, London workers are more likely to experience shift cancellations. A staggering 35% of Londoners with variable hours report unexpected shift cancellations, compared to 25% of workers outside the city. This financial instability has prompted Citizens UK to propose policies focused on income stability and reducing the insecurity caused by variable working hours and shift cancellations.

One key recommendation is expanding Alternative Payment Arrangements (APAs) within Universal Credit (UC), allowing claimants to receive payments more frequently than monthly—such as twice monthly, as practiced in Scotland. This flexibility can help smooth income fluctuations for workers with irregular hours or shifts, easing budgeting and financial stress for affected households.

The current UC system assumes stable monthly employment, which does not align with the reality for many low-paid or precarious workers in London. By aligning social security payments better with the irregular payment schedules common in insecure jobs, these policies aim to mitigate the economic hardship caused by income volatility and shift cancellations.

Citizens UK's proposals also include introducing a new right to an employment contract that reflects actual hours worked, requiring employers to provide four weeks' minimum notice of shifts with reasonable compensation for short notice shift cancellations, and requiring employers to provide a minimum number of guaranteed hours.

The issue of low pay remains a significant concern, particularly in light of the cost-of-living crisis. Gina Rodriguez, a previous hospitality worker and leader on the Making London a Living Wage City Steering Group, expresses her concern about low-paid workers struggling to afford basic necessities such as heating and groceries in London.

To tackle issues of low pay and insecure work, Citizens UK has set up the Making London a Living Wage City project. The project aims to put over £635m back into the pockets of low-paid workers and ensure at least 10,000 workers in London benefit from the security of Living Hours by accrediting businesses to become Living Wage and Living Hours Employers.

Businesses like Enabled Living, a council-owned company in the Newham area, are already demonstrating the benefits of fair wages, reliable shifts, and working hours that help employees care for their families. Michael, a former retail worker who now works for Enabled Living, shares that these changes have allowed him to support his family more effectively and even provide extra curriculum tuition for his daughter, who recently passed her 11+ exam.

Citizens UK is calling on the next government to introduce policies that will strengthen people's rights and access to predictable, sufficient working hours. The analysis from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reveals that workers in London are more likely to have jobs with variable working hours or shift work compared to the rest of the UK, with 64% of Londoners working these types of jobs. Outside of London, 54% of workers have jobs with variable hours or shift work.

These proposals, if implemented, could significantly improve the financial stability and quality of life for many workers in London, providing a much-needed relief in the face of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

1. The UK's largest people-powered campaign group, Citizens UK, has proposed policies related to workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness, focused on income stability and reducing the insecurity caused by variable working hours and shift cancellations.
2. One of the key recommendations is expanding Alternative Payment Arrangements (APAs) within Universal Credit (UC), allowing claimants to receive payments more frequently to help manage income fluctuations for workers with irregular hours or shifts.
3. Citizens UK's proposals include introducing a new right to an employment contract that reflects actual hours worked, requiring employers to provide a minimum number of guaranteed hours and reasonable compensation for short notice shift cancellations.
4. Gina Rodriguez, a previous hospitality worker and leader on the Making London a Living Wage City Steering Group, has expressed concern about low-paid workers struggling to afford basic necessities in light of the cost-of-living crisis.
5. To tackle issues of low pay and insecure work, Citizens UK has launched the Making London a Living Wage City project, which aims to put over £635m back into the pockets of low-paid workers and ensure at least 10,000 workers in London benefit from the security of Living Hours.

Read also: