The post you are reporting:
This is from the Evening Standard:
"Thousands of Londoners are employed by Labour councils on zero hours contracts that have been criticised by Ed Miliband, it emerged today.
They include 546 people directly employed by Newham — a flagship Labour borough where Mr Miliband made a speech recently attacking the exploitation of casual and agency workers.
Other Labour-run councils that use the controversial contracts, which give people no job security or guaranteed hours, include Tower Hamlets, Brent, Ealing, Merton and Hounslow.
Islington council has advertised for staff on contracts described on a recruitment website as "Zero Hour Contract — As and When Required", although the council says its casual workers all have benefits and rights.
The council said: "In our view, our casual workers are not the same as 'zero hours contracts.' Our casual workers are not exclusive or "on call"; they get holiday pay, sick pay, have access to the pension scheme and have continuous service recognised. We roster weeks or months in advance, most casuals are on fixed work patterns and in the past we have paid maternity and redundancy in line with permanent policies."
The disclosure is embarrassing to Mr Miliband who used a speech at Newham Docklands to criticise such contracts in June."
Roger