Labour pledge to end zero-hours contracts for Tower Hamlets staff

Labour’s mayoral candidate John Biggs has pledged to “review and phase out” zero-hour contracts for Tower Hamlets Council staff if elected next year.

There are currently 365 staff employed by the local authority on the controversial contracts.

Under the terms of the agreements, employees never have a guaranteed number of weekly hours, triggering concerns over job security and fairness.

“If I become mayor, we will review and phase out zero hour contracts,” promised Mr Biggs. “We owe it to ourselves, as a decent community, that everyone doing valuable work is properly valued.”

Mr Biggs takes on incumbent mayor Lutfur Rahman next year.

Labour leader Ed Miliband used his Trades Union Congress speech this week to pledge last week to clamp down on the contracts by imposing tighter restrictions on when they can be used.