JHL (12.06.2013 - Heikki Jokinen) According to JHL's Chief Executive Officer Päivi Niemi-Laine, it is time we get rid of the questionable zero hour contracts, which transfer the entrepreneurs’ risk directly to the employees. "In zero hour contracts, the security or insecurity of income is fully dependent on the employers will to offer, or not to offer, working hours", says Niemi-Laine.
Zero hour employment contract is a contract, where the number of working hours per week is defined between zero and 40. With these contracts, the employee does not know in advance, whether he or she will have work in the near future or not.
Zero contracts are even used in permanent employment, not only in agency labour or fixed term employment. The rules according to sick leave payment and length of annual leave are also unclear with zero contracts.
"This kind of employment is no longer exceptional", says Reetta Keränen, Chair of the JHL Youth in the Helsinki region. "It is being used by private companies in particular, but also by state and municipalities as well as removal companies, media houses and social institutions."
JHL Youth is especially active in the work against zero contracts as these mainly target young people. "To sell the idea of zero contracts and short time jobs flexibility, freedom to choose and individualism are being promoted as the ideals of working life. By stressing the freedom to choose, employers have faded out the fact that they are trying to dismantle employment security", Keränen says.
Existing legislation does nothing to inhibit zero hour employment contracts, Niemi-Laine says. But the problem has been identified and a working group representing both trade unions and the employers’ confederation is working on it.
"But small changes are not enough", Niemi-Laine maintains. "The goal of JHL is to get rid of these kind of unfair practices. Fair rules in working life benefit both employers and society at large."
JHL Youth has been active in lobbying the Members of Parliament and conducted an inquiry on zero contracts among all parliamentary groups. Based on the inquiry, most MP's are fairly critical of zero contracts.