TUC launches search for new bank holiday

The TUC has launched a national search for a new bank holiday as it reveals figures showing that people in Britain get fewer public holidays than any other country in the European Union even including all the new EU member states.

Anyone can join the TUC’s national search by joining an on-line poll at the TUC’s world of work website www.worksmart.org.uk/holiday that asks people to vote for an extra bank holiday on either: the national saints days of England, Scotland and Wales (April 23, November 30 and March 1); a Monday in October breaking up the long gap between the August bank holiday and Christmas (at the same time as children take their half term holiday.); New Year’s Eve; a guaranteed extra day, but different each year (to allow particular celebrations such as the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in 2005); and, finally there’s also a category for mean bosses, who get the chance to say no to any extra time off.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: We work the longest hours, and have the fewest public holidays. It’s about time we caught up with the rest of Europe in the holiday stakes. Indeed it is very hard to see why people in England, Scotland and Wales should have two fewer days than Northern Ireland. But there’s lots of good candidates for when we should take the extra time off, so we are asking people to help us choose in our Bank Holiday Idol vote.

All the new countries that joined the EU on May 1 this year have more public holidays than Britain. Cyprus is now the best place for days off with 16 public holidays a year - double Britain’s eight measly days. Indeed the new members increase the average number of days off across the EU to more than 11. In the other ’old’ EU member states, public holidays are in addition to the four weeks minimum paid leave that Europe’s working time directive guarantees. In the UK employers can make staff count bank holidays as part of their annual minimum paid holiday.

The TUC poll puts the case for and against each of the bank holidays:

National saints days
The case for: More and more people are celebrating their national days across Britain. Perhaps in England some on the far right have tried to claim St George’s Day, but it is clear that they have lost this argument. As Trevor Phillips of the CRE says When I was a boy, the word ’English’ used to mean ’white’. No more. These days give us a chance as other countries do to celebrate a national day. The case against: Holidays on a Monday are better as they allow people to take a long weekend. Business won’t like holidays on different days in different parts of the UK. It’s all a bit too nationalist.

Autumn half term:
The case for: It will always be on a Monday allowing a long weekend. It comes right in the middle of the long gloomy stretch between summer and Christmas. We can think up something new to celebrate. Parents will get an extra day with their children. The case against: The weather will be even worse than other bank holidays. It probably won’t give much of a boost to the leisure and tourist industries if people stay at home. There’s nothing special to celebrate.

New Year’s Eve
The case for: People need New Year’s Eve off to get ready for going out in the evening.
The case against: Many people get this day off already, and for many it might not mean an extra day off.

An extra variable day
The case for: This gives us a chance to celebrate important national events together with a days extra holiday. We have done this recently for the Millennium and royal events. The case against: It’s harder to plan when the dates may change. Governments can change and may not always honour any pledge to grant an extra bank holiday each year.

No extra bank holidays
The case for: We can’t think of one but Director General of the CBI, Digby Jones, has said: Bank holidays may not be a legal right but the overwhelming majority of UK employers give them in addition to annual leave. We all like the idea of more time off, but most people understand that can’t come without cost.

The case against: We do not get as many days off as our European neighbours. We’ll probably get just as much work done if we are a bit more rested and refreshed. As we get more prosperous as a country we should take some of that with more time for ourselves and our families.


EU Public holidays (days)
Austria 13
Belgium 10
Denmark 9.5
Finland 12
France 11
Germany 9-12
Greece 10-12
Ireland 9
Italy 12
Luxembourg 10
Netherlands (but gives more than EU holiday minimum) 8
Portugal 12-14
Spain 12-14
Sweden 11
Britain 8
Northern Ireland 10
’Old’ EU average 10.8

Cyprus 16
Czech Republic 12
Estonia 9
Hungary 13
Latvia 11
Lithuania 12
Malta 14
Poland 10
Slovakia 18
Slovenia 13
All EU average 11.35
In some countries different sectors have different holiday rights

Bank holiday fact file

At the moment, England, Scotland and Wales all have eight public holidays per year, whilst Northern Ireland has ten.


The TUC last campaigned for more public holidays in the 1970s. Before that, England and Wales had six public holidays; Scotland had five and Northern Ireland eight. Our campaign was influential in persuading the government of the day of the merits of the case. The result was the introduction of two new bank holidays throughout the UK and a further additional day in Scotland.

About a third of full-time employees work on at least one public holiday in the year.

16-19 year olds are the age group most likely to work on public holidays.

Agriculture and fisheries is the industrial sector most likely to work on a public holiday. About half work on at least one public holiday last year.

Prior to 1834, the Bank of England observed about thirty-three saints’ days and religious festivals as holidays, but in 1834, this was drastically reduced to just four: Good Friday, 1st May, 1st November, and Christmas Day.

Bank holidays were first introduced by the Bank Holidays Act of 1871, which designated four holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five in Scotland. These were Easter Monday, the first Monday in August, the 26th December, and Whit Monday (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and New Year’s Day, Good Friday, the first Monday in May, the first Monday in August, and Christmas Day (Scotland). In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, both Christmas Day and Good Friday were traditional days of rest and Christian worship (as were Sundays) and did not need to be included in the Act.

The act was introduced by Sir John Lubbock, the 1st Lord and Baron Avebury, (30th April, 1834-28th May, 1913), English banker, politician, naturalist and archaeologist. He was the first president of the Institute of Bankers and in 1865 Lubbock published what was probably the most influential archaeological text book of the 19th Century, Pre-historic Times, as Illustrated by Ancient Remains, and the Manners and Customs of Modern Savages, and was responsible for inventing the names Palaeolithic and Neolithic to denote the Old and New Stone Ages respectively.

Two additional days were subsequently appointed in Northern Ireland: St Patrick’s Day (17 March) by a special Act of Parliament in 1903 and 12 July (Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690), by the Governor of Northern Ireland in 1926.

The 1871 Act was repealed 100 years later and its provisions incorporated into the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, which remains the statutory basis for bank holidays. The following changes were introduced both then and subsequently:

1971 - Whit Monday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (which could fall anywhere between 11 May and 14 June) was formally replaced by a fixed spring holiday on the last Monday in May. The last Monday in August was formally made a bank holiday in place of the first Monday in August in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In both cases, this followed a trial period of the new arrangements between 1965 and 1970.

1973 - 2 January was created an additional bank holiday in Scotland by the 1971 Act. However, the provision did not come into effect until 1973.

1974 - New Year’s Day became an additional bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Boxing Day became an additional bank holiday in Scotland.

1978 - the first Monday in May in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the last Monday in May in Scotland, became additional bank holidays. Bank holidays designated since the 1971 Act are appointed each year by Royal Proclamation.