Barber: Easing the gloom?

An autumn bank holiday is needed to ease the seasonal gloom of millions of workers, the TUC has claimed.

This Monday should be one of three new bank holidays, the union organisation said.

General secretary Brendan Barber said the new day off would allow parents to spend more time with their children during half term.

The TUC noted it is 61 days until the next bank holiday and 56 days since the last one.

"It's a cold dark Monday but autumn doesn't have to be such a slog," said Barber.

"The country could comfortably cope with a day off today to break the 16-week bank holiday-free stretch."

An online poll being run by the organisation also found that of the 19,469 people who voted, 41 per cent favoured a Monday in late October as a new bank holiday.

Some 32 per cent backed St George's, St Andrew's and St David's days, and 11 per cent backed making New Year's Eve a bank holiday.

Retail boost

The TUC said three extra holidays would bring the UK up to the European average of 11 per year.

"Millions of employees could give our leisure and retail industries a boost or take a long weekend away and help our tourism sector," said Barber.

"Others could simply be enjoying a well-earned extra lie in and a very happy Monday."

But the Forum of Private Business, a small business pressure group, said such a move would damage the economy.

"Bank holidays already cause enough problems for business particularly as they are clustered together on the calendar," said chief executive Nick Goulding.

"Not only will the cost of this proposal be significant it will also cause massive disruption.

"I am concerned that many conscientious businesses will feel compelled to give time off even though bank holidays are not a statutory requirement.

"Moreover having more bank holidays... will just mean more days when government, councils and banks grind to a halt - all to the detriment of small businesses."