YOUNG workers and unions have expressed concerns over the prevalance of zero hours contracts in East Lancashire.

They highlighted worries about a lack of permanent contracts and suggested that more should be done to regulate their use.

Their views come on the back of a new study released by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) which suggested that as many as one million people may be employed with no guaranteed work.

It found that the contracts were most in use in catering, leisure, education and health industries.

Blackburn with Darwen Council revealed that it has 27 people were employed on zero hours contracts in April this year however it said that they were only employed on winter gritting duties.

One 22-year-old employee from Burnley, who used to work on a zero hours contract as a steward at a football stadium, said that irregular hours sometimes led him to contemplate stealing in order to pay his bills.

Now employed on a permanent contract he said: “In one way they are great because they allow you to work when you want so for a while I didn’t mind making a compromise.

“But there were times when I contemplated stealing to pay billls because the work was so irregular and I wouldn’t be able to live on them now.”

A student who works two zero hours contracts in catering and stewarding said: “Whilst I’m studying I don’t mind them but I would be worried if I had to take one after college when I’m looking for full time work because they don’t offer secure financial support.

“They seem to be becoming more common and I think that some unscrupulous employers use them selfishly without caring about how uncertain hours could affect their employees who can’t find secure contracts.”

Ian Lorimer, secretary of Blackburn with Darwen Trade Unions Council said the branch would address the issue at its next meeting.

He said: “They are concerning because they allow employers to expect people to work without much notice and don’t always give them proper terms and conditions such as sick pay.

“I don’t think that the government is doing enough to discourage what seem to be sometimes disgraceful contracts and people employed on these need to know that they can and should still join a union for support.