SCOTTISH Labour has urged all parties to rule out the use of zero-hours contracts in campaigning for May’s Holyrood elections.

The call comes after the SNP was found to have used workers on zero-hours contracts to deliver leaflets in the run-up to the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election in 2023. One leafleter was reported to have admitted to a local resident: “I don’t support the SNP. I’m just getting paid to hand this sh*te out. It’s a zero-hours contract as well.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “It shouldn’t take for a party to be publicly shamed into doing the right thing, like the SNP were. 

“That is why we are urging all parties across the Scottish Parliament to publicly state they will rule out the use of zero-hour contracts during the 2026 campaign.

“The UK government has already committed to a ban on zero-hours contracts, as well as day-one protections against unfair dismissal.

“It is now time for opposition leaders including John Swinney, Russell Findlay and Lord Offord to confirm that they will not exploit workers during the Scottish Parliament campaign and commit to protecting workers’ rights.”