During a speech at the Trades Union Congress, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, called the gig economy and zero-hours contracts the ‘reincarnation of an ancient evil.’ However, it has since emerged that the Church of England uses zero-hours contracts and invests in Amazon, despite Welby’s criticism of the online retail giant.

In his speech to the TUC in Manchester earlier this week, Welby, a former oil industry executive, addressed “vulnerable employment” as well as pensions and taxes.

He specifically took aim at Amazon, stating, “But when vast companies like Amazon, and other online traders, the new industries, can get away with paying almost nothing in tax, there is something wrong with the tax system. They don’t pay a real living wage, so the tax payer must support their workers with benefits,” Welby said.

It has since emerged that at least two Church of England cathedrals are advertising jobs on zero-hours contracts, while the church has confirmed that Amazon is one of its 20 biggest investments worldwide.

Gloucester Cathedral is currently advertising for a porter on a zero-hours contract with the website describing the role as mostly evening and weekend work with a wage of up to £8.75 per hour. Meanwhile, Norwich Cathedral is looking for a refectory assistant, calling it a "casual zero-hours post" on its website.

John Nurthen, executive director global research at Staffing Industry Analysts said: “To label the whole gig economy as evil is extremely naïve and it is disappointing that the most senior cleric in the UK has such a one-dimensional view of these things. While there may be examples of exploitation and failures in legislation, there are many positive aspects to the gig economy, not least of which is its success in providing work for many of the poorest communities in the world”.

In a letter to The Times, the Reverend Ray Anglesea, a United Reformed Church minister who worked on a zero-hours contract in a cathedral bookshop, said the archbishop "might have done well to have put his own house in order before addressing the conference".

Anglesea wrote, "What the Most Rev Justin Welby did not disclose was how many of his cathedrals are zero contract hour employers and how many cathedral employees have no job certainty, no sick or holiday pay, and no maternity cover."

The Church of England said it will keep shares in Amazon.

A spokesperson for the Church Commissioners said: "The Church Commissioners openly disclosed its holding in Amazon in our 2017 Annual Report.”

"We have previously been on the record that we consider aggressive tax avoidance or abusive tax arrangements to be both a business risk and an ethical issue,” the spokesperson said. "As with other issues, we take the view that it is more effective to be in the room with these companies seeking change as an active shareholder than speaking from the side-lines."

A spokeswoman for the Archbishop told the Telegraph, "The Archbishop of Canterbury made clear his views on zero hours contracts."