http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29299230

Labour would like to sell you something that'll happen anyway, the Tories are still blaming them for the crash while screwing over the poorest as usual, and the Lib Dems are still talking about tax. The CBI trots out the usual bollocks about the small businesses that aren't even on it's radar before asking for more public money... Is it any wonder almost half of Scotland wanted out?

big business do not wish to retain long term staff
they actively practice the revolving door recruitment system

1. long term staff are on better pay and conditions
2. revolving door recruitment lowers 'their' wage costs
3. revolving door recruitment keeps staff 'in there place'
4. the bottom line is profit

if wages increase, business will ensure lower staffing levels based on revolving door recruitment, part time employment or zero hours contracts
zero hour employment contracts should be and needs to be made illegal, unless there is enforced self employment ...

From what I understand, self employment is encouraged if you are signing on. Pretty much self-imposed zero hour contracts.

There is a place for Zero Hour contracts - I was on one back when I was a student and it gave me the flexibility to work the hours I needed to
They are being misused and being rolled out to sectors that never had them but they do have their place

Rather than ban them say that if someone is emplyed for more than X months then they must be offered a contract with the average number of hours they have worked in that period

I was on a zero hour contract while I was a student but still had a min 15hrs schedule set up and I came in if they needed me on some other days, which is the way it should be. It's not right that some people who are unscheduled and just come in at short notice for a few hours here and there.

I had no minimum hours (IIRC) but I would not go in unless they offered (or paid for) a full shift - as at the time i lived 12 miles from where I was working and would not ride in for less than a full 8 hr shift.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29310512

He asks you to trust him and then starts spouting the same crap even I've heard for decades.

Ed Miliband promises £2.5bn funding boost 'to save NHS'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29310512

Presumably he'll also be hitting the breweries and fast food companies for other laughable fees...

But if the NHS has been forced to outsource most of it's functions to private tender by the time the next election comes round, isn't giving £2.5bn to the NHS actually just giving £2.5bn to private healthcare companies?

Well, you've got to stay on the right side of big business obviously.