ANGELA RAYNER held another round of talks with trade unions and business leaders today as the government continues its drive to end “exploitative” zero-hours contracts.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds met with TUC general secretary Paul Nowak, heads of Unison, Usdaw, NASUWT and Community as well as figures from the Confederation of British Industry and Federation of Small Businesses.

The meeting is the latest in a series of discussions with unions and businesses on employment rights, with further such meetings expected over the coming weeks.

Labour’s manifesto committed it to banning “exploitative zero-hours contracts” as part of its wider Make Work Pay agenda, with reforms promised to be included in an Employment Rights Bill to be introduced in the party’s first 100 days in office.

But Labour also said that it would consult businesses and unions on its plans before passing legislation, a process which began last month.

About one million people in Britain are thought to be on zero-hours contracts, according to the Office for National Statistics, equivalent to 3.1 per cent of people in employment.