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date: Friday 20 december 2003 embargo: 00.01hrs Monday 23 December 2003 |
Attention: News, industrial and employment correspondents.
All I want for Christmas is my two weeks leave
TUC research released today (Monday) shows that nearly a million people will be working this Christmas Day and one and a half million will work on New Year’s Day. The TUC analysis of the latest Labour Force Survey figures also shows that over three million employees will not receive holiday pay if they take off Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.
UK workers have no statutory right to take the Christmas and New Year bank holidays, or any others, as time off or to receive holiday pay if they do. Employees also have no right to be paid a special rate for working bank holidays and the UK is the only EU country that allows employers to count bank holidays as part of the four weeks minimum paid annual leave guaranteed by the UK Working Time Directive.
The TUC are calling for the government to make a New Year’s resolution to introduce:
- Three new bank holidays to bring the UK up to the EU average.
- A statutory right to be paid to take bank holidays off.
- For those who have to work on bank holidays, a choice between being paid double time, or normal time plus a paid day’s holiday in lieu at a later date.
TUC General Secretary Elect, Brendan Barber, said:
'The best employers give their staff two weeks paid leave at Christmas. Some people have to work over the holiday and they should be fairly rewarded. Protecting employees from bad bosses is an essential job all year round but the government needs to strengthen the law to make the UK a better place to work.'
Notes to Editors:
The research was an analysis of the latest available Office of National Statistics Labour Force Survey.
Working on the Christmas Bank Holidays - National Figures
|
Number working | |
|
Christmas Day 2000 |
964,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
1,381,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
1,455,000 |
|
Hogmanay 2001 (BH in Scotland only) |
207,000 |
Working on the Christmas Bank Holidays - Regional Figures
|
Number working | |
|
North East | |
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
53,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
68,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
70,000 |
|
North West | |
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
157,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
169,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
162,000 |
|
Yorkshire and Humberside | |
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
86,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
119,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
127,000 |
|
East Midlands | |
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
69,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
89,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
100,000 |
|
West Midlands | |
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
79,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
117,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
132,000 |
|
East of England | |
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
80,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
113,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
131,000 |
|
London | |
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
100,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
139,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
143,000 |
|
South East | |
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
127,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
185,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
230,000 |
|
South West | |
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
126,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
127,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
146,000 |
|
Wales | |
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
61,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
63,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
72,000 |
|
Scotland | |
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
104,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
167,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
121,000 |
|
Hogmanay |
207,000 |
|
Northern Ireland | |
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
15,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
23,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
20,000 |
Paid for taking Christmas period bank holidays off? (UK figures)
|
Not paid for holiday | |
|
Christmas Day 2000 |
3,108,000 |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
3,250,000 |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
3,423,000 |
|
Hogmanay 2001 (BH in Scotland only) |
270,000 |
Table 4: Paid for taking Christmas period bank holidays off? (Regional figures)
|
North East | ||
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
957,000 | |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
942,000 | |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
940,000 | |
|
North West | ||
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
2,642,000 | |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
2,630,000 | |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
2,637,000 | |
|
Yorkshire and Humberside | ||
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
2,003,000 | |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
1,970,000 | |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
1,962,000 | |
|
East Midlands | ||
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
1,757,000 | |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
1,737,000 | |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
1,726,000 | |
|
West Midlands | ||
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
2,151,000 | |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
2,113,000 | |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
2,098,000 | |
|
East of England | ||
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
2,345,000 | |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
2,312,000 | |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
2,294,000 | |
|
London | ||
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
2,952,000 | |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
2,939,000 | |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
2,909,000 | |
|
South East | ||
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
3,488,000 | |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
3,430,000 | |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
3,385,000 | |
|
South West | ||
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
1,977,000 | |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
1,976,000 | |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
1,957,000 | |
|
Wales | ||
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
1,045,000 | |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
1,043,000 | |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
1,034,000 | |
|
Scotland | ||
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
2,038,000 | |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
1,975,000 | |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
2,021,000 | |
|
Hogmanay 2001 |
1,890,000 | |
|
Northern Ireland | ||
|
Christmas Day 1999 |
597,000 | |
|
Boxing Day 2000 |
589,000 | |
|
New Year’s Day 2001 |
592,000 | |
Full report and all other TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
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Contacts:
Media enquiries: 020 7467 1248 or 07699 744115 (pager) or email media@tuc.org.uk
Over Christmas and New Year the duty TUC press officer will be:
24 - 30 December, Nigel Stanley who can be paged on 07699 755 102
30 December - 5 January 2003, Liz Chinchen who can be paged on: 07699 744 115
Press release (900 words) issued 23 Dec 2002
