Manchester Withington MP Jeff Smith is supporting the TUC’s HeartUnions week, which focuses on the good work that unions do to offer everyone a voice at work.

This year, trade unions are using HeartUnions week to focus on stamping out zero-hours contracts which are being used to exploit workers.

Commenting on the campaign, Jeff said:

“Too many workers on zero-hour contracts are being denied job security, sick pay and holiday pay.

Hours are never guaranteed, making financial planning impossible and anxiety inevitable. If something goes wrong, there is no safety net.

That is why I’m backing this important campaign and supporting trade unions in the fight against insecure work.”

Lynn Collins, Regional Secretary of TUC North West said:

“From bogus self-employment to underpaying agency workers, TUC research shows that 1 in 9 workers – at least 3.8 million – are now trapped in some form of insecure work. In-work poverty is a serious and increasing problem in modern Britain with one in eight workers in the UK now living in poverty.

If the Government are serious about building a country that works for everyone, they must pledge now to ban zero-hours contracts.”

Almost six million people are currently members of a trade union and every year they help more than 200,000 people get the training and learning opportunities they need to move on in their career. If you are thinking about joining a union, you can find the TUC’s online union finder tool here.