GMB slams Scrooge employers
More than three million men spend more than 49 hours a week at work, according to a new study.
Almost one in four men work longer than the 48-hours limit prescribed by the EU directive on working hours, according to researchers at the GMB union.
Office workers in the City of London and Kensington and Chelsea put in the longest hours, with the south-east and eastern England identified were the hardest working regions, the GMB found.
In the agricultural areas of Aberdeenshire and Powys, one third of men worked over the European average.
GMB general secretary Kevin Curran warned: “Burn out Britain is becoming a reality for more and more people as Scrooge employers force their workers to leave precious family celebrations to go to work.
He added: “You simply can’t be at your best if you are continually working more than 48 hours a week even during holiday time.
“This kind of workhouse ethic will not increase productivity; in fact, it will leave their workforce resentful and burnt out.”
At present, Britain is the only country in Europe where workers can opt out of the EU directive on working time.
The Government says the UK’s flexible economy would adversely affected if the directive were strictly observed.
The GMB found that less than 6 per cent of women worked more longer than 49 hours a week but said the figure did not reflect the fact that many women were in low paid casual jobs where hours were not recorded.
