The Government of Ireland is set to ban zero-hours contracts in “most circumstances” under new draft legislation.

The Cabinet approved draft legislative proposals from Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor and Small Business Minister Pat Breen that will “address problems caused by the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen the regulation of precarious work”.

O'Connor said the legislation would improve employment protection for low-paid vulnerable workers, and would improve the predictability of hours of work and earnings for many employees whose contract of employment does not reflect the reality of the hours they work on a consistent basis.

A government statement says the plans include an amendment to the Organisation of Working Time Act which will outlaw zero hour contracts “in most circumstances”. The statement read, “The proposals will stop situations where the stated contracted hours are zero, unless it is genuinely casual work, emergency cover or short-term relief work for the employer. This proposal is to avoid the contagion of an increase in zero hours practices in this jurisdiction.”

Details published in RTE shows that the proposals state that employees called into work and then sent home will be entitled to compensation equivalent to three hours' pay at three times the national minimum wage, or the rate that applies in an area covered by a legally-binding wage agreement.

According to the Journal.ie, the draft legislation will now be referred to the Office of the Attorney General for priority drafting of a bill and has been cautiously welcomed by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.