THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
The Indian Workers’ Association (IWA) has called for stronger protection for agency, zero-hours and other insecure workers, warning that flexibility for businesses must not come at the cost of workers’ security and dignity.
TUC analysis shows that the number of people in insecure work rose from 3.2 million in 2011 to around 4 million in 2024, increasing from 10.7% to 11.7% of the workforce.
Lower-paid occupations, including care, leisure, service and elementary work, accounted for 77% of the net increase in insecure work.
The figures also show a disproportionate impact on Black and Minority Ethnic workers. In 2024, 16.3% of BME workers were in insecure work, compared with 10.8% of white workers. The number of BME workers in insecure work rose from around 360,000 in 2011 to 935,000 in 2024.
Separate TUC analysis published in June 2026 estimated that at least 789,000 people were working through employment agencies in the final quarter of 2025.
Sital Singh Gill, General Secretary of the Indian Workers’ Association, said:
“These figures should concern everyone. It is particularly worrying that insecure work is concentrated among lower-paid workers and that BME workers are disproportionately affected.
“Agency and insecure workers help keep our factories, food production, warehouses, care services, logistics and other essential industries running, yet many still do not know how many hours they will receive from one week to the next.”
Mr Gill said IWA recognised that businesses may need flexibility when orders and demand change, but workers should not be expected to carry all the uncertainty.
“A family’s rent, mortgage, energy and food bills do not disappear simply because a worker’s hours disappear. Temporary work should not become permanent insecurity.”
IWA is calling for fair and predictable hours, reasonable notice of shifts, safe workloads and protection for workers who raise concerns about pay, working conditions or health and safety.
The Government is currently implementing reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025, including rights relating to guaranteed hours, reasonable notice of shifts and payments when shifts are cancelled or changed at short notice. The measures also make provision for qualifying agency workers.
IWA welcomes moves to tackle insecure work but says the reforms must provide meaningful protection in the workplace and ensure agency workers are not left behind.
Mr Gill added:
“Businesses have a right to make a reasonable profit, but profit must never come through exploitation. Workers are not machines or disposable labour.”
“Whatever their colour, nationality or background, every worker deserves fair pay, safe work, dignity and reasonable job security. Flexibility must work both ways — all the flexibility cannot be for the employer while all the uncertainty is carried by the worker.”
