NEW findings from the TUC shows that 495,600 workers in the South East are in insecure work - 10.6% of the regional workforce.

As well as economic hardship and disruption to family life, many workers in the ‘gig economy’ are denied key workplace rights, including protection from unfair dismissal, family-friendly rights, and rights to be represented by a trade union.

Bosses are falsely labelling staff as self-employed, outsourcing work to agencies or using zero-hours contracts to drive down costs and dodge employment and tax responsibilities, says the TUC.

Agency and zero-hours staff can he hired and fired at will and have no right to return to their job after having a baby.  And workers forced into bogus self-employment by their boss are not guaranteed national minimum wage, paid holidays or sick pay.

Sam Gurney, the TUC’s regional secretary for the South East, said: “Every worker deserves fair pay, decent rights, and a voice at work. But too many are stuck in jobs with bosses who treat them like disposable labour. We need a new deal for working people in the South East so that every worker gets respect, and every job is a good job.

“The government must crack down on shady business models that exploit workers. No more zero-hour contracts. No more bogus self-employment. And no more using agency workers to undercut permanent staff.”