MPs back pleas for extra bank holiday

Apr 29 2008 by William Green, The Journal

HARD working Britons deserve another annual bank holiday and ministers should introduce one as soon as possible, say North MPs and trade unions.

A new holiday would also improve people’s work-life balance and improve productivity, according to a Commons motion signed by Labour’s Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland, Wansbeck MP Denis Murphy, Sunderland North MP Bill Etherington and Blaydon MP Dave Anderson.

The motion says the UK has the lowest number of public breaks in Europe apart from Romania and that a well-thought out new holiday would bring people together for a national day of celebration.

The 45 MPs to sign the motion also praise the 500,000 signatures collected by travel company Thomas Cook backing a new bank holiday alongside work on the issue by trade unions, and the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Fabian Society think-tanks.

The motion says: “Hard-working Britons deserve an extra day off each year and we ask the Government to recognise increasing public demand for an extra day off by announcing the introduction of a new bank holiday at the earliest opportunity.” Mr Clelland added: “Now we have got a lot of people back into work in this country, people work hard and they are entitled to have at least the kind of holidays that are enjoyed by their counterparts on the Continent.”

Kevin Rowan, Trades Union Congress regional secretary, suggested a new October bank holiday because many people felt it was a long time without a decent break between the summer and Christmas. “What we would like to do is give opportunities to give something back like a national volunteering day,” he added.

The Confederation of British Industry said statutory holiday entitlement was being increased from 20 to 28 days over the next two years, which would be a big improvement for many workers.

Liz Smith, assistant regional CBI director, added: “An extra bank holiday would create a substantial additional cost to firms. Given the current pressures facing the economy, now is perhaps not the best time to be adding additional costs to businesses’s bottom line.

“Our estimates indicate that offering staff an extra bank holiday could cost the economy up to £6bn on top.”

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) said the Government has no current plans to change the pattern of bank holidays, warning any benefits of an extra break would have to be balanced against the costs.