THE Shadow Employment Minister has called for a ban on 'disgraceful' zero hours contracts.

New research has revealed zero hours workers receive about a third less wages than contracted staff, and nearly a quarter regularly work right through the night.

Speaking from the dispatch box in a Commons employment debate, Weaver Vale MP, Mike Amesbury responded to Conservative Mark Menzies’ comments regarding a fall in unemployment in his Fylde constituency.

Mike said: "The honourable member for Fylde asked about employment trends, but one trend that he did not mention is that zero-hours contracts have quadrupled since 2010.

"This week is HeartUnions Week, so will the Secretary of State join me, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Labour party in pledging to ban these disgraceful contracts?"

The TUC union recently carried out research based on analysing the latest official data on zero-hours contracts which found two-thirds of zero-hours workers would prefer jobs with guaranteed hours.

Speaking outside the Chamber, Mike added: "People on zero-hours contracts are not able to know how much they will be paid from one week to the next, or even whether they will work at all.

"The government likes to claim that work is the best route out of poverty, but from visiting foodbanks and dealing with many people struggling below the breadline at my MP surgeries and via casework, I can assure you that a lot of people in work are still in poverty.

"Some people are working two or three jobs and still don’t have enough to cover the bare essentials.

"When it comes to zero hours contracts, very often people are sat there waiting for a text telling them to come in for a few hours, sometimes that text doesn’t come at all.

"Zero hours contracts are a regressive step, because without the rights and protections we fought so hard for as a society, sick and holiday pay, standard hours and the knowledge that you can make some kind of plans for the future with some semblance of work security, we will not be able to build a strong economy."

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: "The vast majority of people on zero-hour contracts want out.

"The only flexibility offered to them is what’s good for employers.

"Zero-hours workers regularly work through the night for low pay, putting their health at risk.

"And many face the constant uncertainty of not knowing when their next shift will come.

"We need action from government the now to stamp out these exploitative contracts once and for all."