"Almost 700,000 people in UK have zero-hours contract as main job" - 25 Feb 2015

Nearly 700,000 people are on zero-hours contracts in their main job - a rise of more than 100,000 on a year ago - according to new official figures. The rise is likely to trigger renewed debate over the widespread use of contracts that offer no guarantee of hours and only those benefits guaranteed by law, such as holiday pay...The Labour party and trade unions accused the government of allowing a low-pay culture to grow unchecked, forcing many workers to live a hand-to-mouth existence that often prevented them qualifying for a mortgage....Some of Britain’s largest employers offer zero-hours contracts to employees. High street giants such as JD Wetherspoon, Burger King, Domino’s Pizza, Sports Direct and McDonald’s all use the deals.