One in ten workers in 'insecure jobs', says TUC

British workers face "cut-rate, bottom-of-the-league protections", an explosion of zero-hours contracts, fewer guarantees of holiday pay and less chance of equal pay after Brexit, says the TUC.

A damning new report from the unions group says the number of "insecure jobs" is already soaring, with more than three million people, or one in ten employees, working without guaranteed hours or basic employment rights, a rise of more than 660,000 in the past five years.

The increase is being driven by traditional roles such as teaching, care-giving and the service sector, it adds, while those employed in newer sectors such as technology are better insulated from the changes in employment conditions.

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TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said insecure work has become "the new normal for far too many people" and the problem was "getting worse" as Theresa May pushed ahead with a hard Brexit.

She added: "Threats from the government to slash corporation tax if they don't get a good deal from Brussels will raise fears that workers' rights could be ripped up in an effort to retain businesses in Britain."

Despite the Prime Minister's repeated promises to protect worker's rights after Brexit, unions and MPs fear the issues of insecure work will worsen once the country is no longer subject to EU law and that the UK "will fall behind" the rest of the bloc as" Brussels enacts greater protections while Westminster enforces the status quo", says The Independent.

Shadow business minister Jack Dromey said: "Britain must not become an offshore island with British workers the poor relation to their European neighbours."