THE Government is being urged to create a new public holiday before Christmas to help people cope with the “intense” pressures of work.
The TUC said there should be another four bank holidays to bring the UK up to the EU average of 12 a year.
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Workers will have to wait until Christmas for the next bank holiday after today, a four-month gap which the TUC said should be filled with a new statutory day off.
Countries like Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland and Cyprus give workers 15 bank holidays a year, almost twice the amount in the UK.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “As new technology changes our economy, the benefits should be shared by working people.
“That means less time at work, more time with family and friends, and decent pay for everyone.
“But, instead, work is becoming more intense. Workers in Britain put in millions of hours of unpaid overtime every year but get fewer public holidays than their counterparts across Europe.
“Working people deserve a break and, as the days start to get shorter, we could all do with something to look forward to.
“The Government should create a new public holiday between now and Christmas.”
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