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date: 6 January 2010

embargo: For immediate release

North East workers give away £727 million through unpaid overtime

The North East has ranked third highest in the UK for the value of unpaid overtime being done, a TUC analysis of official statistics reveals today (Thursday).

Almost 17 percent of workers in this region collectively gave away £727 million in unpaid overtime in 2009.

Staff who did unpaid overtime worked an average of 6 hours 36 minutes each extra a week, worth £4,310 a year - and an increase of £474 since 2008.

The TUC study also shows a slight decline in the number of people who regularly work unpaid overtime in the North East in the last 12 months with 171,000 in 2009 compared with 174,000 in 2008. Overall however, the last decade has seen the number of people who regularly work unpaid overtime rise by 32,000 and the number of hours worked per week in unpaid overtime increase by 0.5 hours.

With many employers and staff agreeing to reduce hours in an effort to avoid job losses, the reduction in working time has had a knock on effect on the number of people working paid and unpaid overtime, the TUC says.

If everyone who worked unpaid overtime in the UK did it from the start of the year, they would start getting paid on Friday 26 February. The TUC has declared this day Work Your Proper Hours Day and will call on bosses to thank staff for the extra work they are putting in to help businesses through the recession.

Kevin Rowan, Regional Secretary, Northern TUC said: 'Throughout the year workers in this region have reduced their hours, worked flexibly and accepted pay freezes or pay cuts to try and work with employers to get through the recession. On top of that we have also seen a significant increase in people working for nothing. Unpaid overtime is growing and is costing workers in the North East thousands. Even in recession employers need to be conscious of the hours that people spend at work and make sure workers are healthy when the recovery starts.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Total amount of unpaid overtime, by area

Long hours unpaid overtime per week, by area

- The tables exclude those who work less than one hour of unpaid overtime per week.

- The TUC has calculated the value of unpaid overtime using unpublished data from the National Statistics Labour Force Survey (April-June 2009 data) and Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

- All results are for employees only.

- To find out more about 'Work Your Proper Hours Day' visit www.workyourproperhoursday.com

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Kevin Rowan T: 0191 2323175; M: 07766250074 E: krowan@tuc.org.uk

Press release (700 words) issued 7 Jan 2010