ALMOST 300 staff at Labour-run Ealing Council are employed using controversial zero-hours contracts while the majority of councils in the area make no use of them, it has emerged.

Freedom of Information requests sent to Ealing, Hillingdon, Harrow and Hounslow councils found that Ealing employs 278 part-time workers on ‘as-and-when’ contracts while the number for the other three is zero.

A council spokesperson suggested that other councils did use these contracts but had categorised them in a different way, so as not to be included in the category ‘zero-hour’.

A statement read: “There are no exclusivity clauses in our contracts and employees are free to take up similar positions with other organisations, or work for themselves.

“Many do this and require the flexibility that these ‘as-and-when-required’ contracts bring.

“The council pays these employees the appropriate rate for the job and offers them the same opportunity to be part of the Local Government Pension Scheme.”

Ealing also argued that use of these contracts helped keep the use of agency staff to a minimum.

Zero-hours contracts have come under fire from unions for not providing workers with a stable income and basic requirements such as sick and holiday pay.

Sports Direct recently agreed to make a wholesale change to its employment policies after a former zero-hours worker with the firm took it to court over sex discrimination, unfair treatment and breach of holiday rights connected to her contract.

A Labour Party spokesperson declined to say if the party would include anti-zero-hours policy in its election manifesto but a statement on their website says they would end ‘exploitative’ zero-hours agreements.

The party will push for changes to the terms of contracts, to prevent employers from requiring staff to be available on the off chance they need them, and to provide them with more regular work.