Union calls for more bank holidays to provide workers with more breaks as UK have less than other countries

The TUC union are calling for an increase in the number of bank holidays in the UK as workers typical get eight a year, whilst Scotland and Northern Ireland receive nine or ten per year depending on their patron saints.

The TUC said that EU countries receive an average of 12.8 days each year and Japan, Australia, USA and China also provide their workers with several more public holidays than the UK.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said, “It’s not fair on UK workers to get so few public holidays.

“They work just as hard as people in other nations who get a lot more.

“The government should put this right by increasing our bank holidays to at least 12 a year.

“New bank holidays must be accounted for with an increase to the paid leave that workers are legally entitled to.

“Otherwise, some workers will miss out, and the government must toughen up enforcement to stop bosses cheating working people out of their holidays.”