TUC calls for an October Bank Holiday

41% of the 19,469 people who voted online in the TUC's WorkSMART.org.uk poll favoured a Monday in late October for a new bank holiday. 32% chose the national Saints' days - St George's, St Andrew's and St David's Days and 11% voted for New Year's Eve.

Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said:

'It's a cold dark Monday but autumn doesn't have to be such a slog. The country could comfortably cope with a day off today to break the 16-week bank holiday-free stretch.

'If this Monday were a bank holiday millions of hard working families would be able to spend a day with their children during half term without taking extra leave. Millions of employees could give our leisure and retail industries a boost or take a long weekend away and help our tourism sector. Others could simply be enjoying a well-earned extra lie in and a very happy Monday.'

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3 Million not entitled to Easter bank holidays

The report is based on an analysis of Labour Force Survey data. It also finds that twice as many employees will work the Easter bank holiday period as worked over Christmas and New Year. The figures also reveal that 130,000 employees at work on Easter Monday, and 147,000 at work on Good Friday, will not be paid extra and many will not be able to take a day off in lieu.

In fact, there is no statutory right for British employees to take Easter bank holidays, or any others, as time off or to receive holiday pay if they do. Neither do UK workers have the right to be paid a special rate for working bank holidays. And the UK is alone in the European Union in allowing employers to count bank holidays as part of the four weeks minimum paid annual leave guaranteed by the Working Time Directive.

Brendan Barber , TUC General Secretary Elect, said:

"While most of us will be enjoying a well-earned Easter break, several million employees will be rather hot and cross that they will either be working or losing two days' pay this weekend. Good Friday has been a public holiday since the Middle Ages and Gladstone first gave Victorian workers a break on Easter Monday but vulnerable employees with bad egg bosses are still losing out.

"No-one should be out of pocket for taking an Easter holiday, and staff who do have to work should receive a special rate of pay for doing so."

The TUC has repeatedly called on the government to:

Three new bank holidays created to bring the UK up to the EU average.

A statutory right to be paid to take bank holidays off.

Those who do have to work on bank holidays, to be given a choice between being paid double time, or normal time plus a day's paid holiday in lieu, to be taken at a later date.

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Workers in mainland Britain enjoy only eight bank holidays a year (10 in Northern Ireland) compared to 12 in Italy, 13 in Austria and up to 14 in Spain and Portugal. Britain and the Netherlands have the fewest public holidays in the EU - but Dutch workers have the right to be paid for their public holidays.

The UK also comes bottom of the European league on annual holidays - combining statutory public holidays (those where employees have the right by law to time off) and statutory annual leave puts the UK 13 days behind the EU average.

British workers do not have statutory rights to bank holidays - they depend on the generosity of their employers. This is also the case with some European bank holidays but the majority are statutory days which employees are entitled to, by law.

Most EU countries have a minimum standard of compensation for working on public holidays, usually a choice of a premium rate or time off in lieu. But UK employees don’t have this.

British workers who are members of trade unions come off better than those who are not. The average trade union member gets 29 days a year compared to 23 days for non-union members.

TUC General Secretary John Monks said: 'UK workers have the shortest holidays and the lowest productivity in Northern Europe. So offering more holidays makes sense for employers too because well-rested workers are more productive. British workers need proper time off work as much as their European colleagues but once again they are at the bottom of the EU pile.'

Source: IDS Europe and www.startinbusiness.co.uk

* plus an extra day for Golden Jubilee 2002 only

EU	Days	EU	Days
Austria	38	Luxembourg	35
Belgium	30	Netherlands	28
Denmark	34.5	Portugal	34-36
Finland	37	Spain	32-34
France	36	Sweden	36
Germany	29-32	Britain	20
Greece	32-34	Northern Ireland	20
Ireland	29	EU average	33
Italy	32-42 (varies by sector)

based on worker undertaking 5-day working week