Union blasts Santander’s use of new ‘one-hour contracts’

Britain’s biggest trade union today condemned the use of “one-hour contracts” by banking behemoth Santander for hundreds of staff.

Some 10% of Santander’s 3700 UK customer service advisers are on “one-hour contracts”, which guarantee staff just one hour of work per month — a twist on controversial zero-hour contracts.

The bank’s job ads state: “You’ll be guaranteed and paid for at least one hour per month/12 hours per year. Additional hours will vary according to branch requirements and will most likely be a mix of pre-arranged and short-notice cover, so flexibility around hours and location is essential.”

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “These so-called ‘one hour contracts’ are just zero-hours contracts by another name — allow[ing] bosses to treat workers like disposable labour. If you’re on one you have no guarantee of work from one day to another, and if you put a foot wrong you can be let go in a heartbeat.

"Some bosses would do well to put as much energy into treating their staff well as they do in inventing new contracts that chip away at their rights at work.”

But Linda Rolph, General Secretary of the Advance Trade Union, said: “On-call contracts for customer service advisors have been a feature in Abbey and then Santander over many years. They should not be confused with zero-hours contracts... These arrangements are ideal for students and colleagues such as maternity leavers wanting to continue to use their experience but without committing to regular fixed hours. Many On Call staff in our experience take on additional hours when it is right for them.”

A spokesman for Santander — advertised by Olympian Jessica Ennis-Hill (pictured) — said staff received “full employment rights with no obligation to accept additional hours or exclusivity”.