Barber: Holiday call

Ahead of the bank holiday weekend the TUC has said businesses are wrong to claim that more days off would damage the economy.

The union body published a survey on Friday showing high support for its campaign to have three more public holidays written into law, bringing Britain up to the European average.

The October half-term, the national saint's days of England, Scotland and Wales and New Year's Eve are the most popular choices according to the online poll.

And the TUC said the economy could afford to absorb the reduction in working days because of the amount of money spent by consumers in leisure time.

General secretary Brendan Barber said studies had shown people spend more on bank holidays than the economy produces in a normal weekday.

He added that growth had continued through the late 1990s when extra rights for time off came into force.

"In the past, bosses have wildly exaggerated the costs of introducing more bank holidays, but our calculations suggest that the UK can well afford to bring in extra days," Barber said.

"If we all were able to take a few extra days off work, rather than losing out, employers would benefit from less-stressed, more contented, productive staff.

"The TUC welcomes Labour's policy forum decision that ministers are committed to change the law so that bank holidays are taken in addition to annual leave, as they are throughout the rest of Europe.

"But we want the government to go further and introduce three extra public holidays. It would be a real vote winner."