Brexit could end right to holiday pay for millions of workers, warns TUC

Updated

Millions of UK workers could lose the "hard-won" right to holiday pay if the UK votes to leave the European Union, according to a new report.

The TUC said one in four workers - more than seven million - had extra paid holidays thanks to European laws.

Women have benefited the most since guaranteed minimum paid holiday rights were introduced in 1998, said the union organisation.

The Government would be able to decide whether or not to keep rights such as paid holiday entitlements if there is a vote to leave the EU, said the TUC.

General secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Millions of working people enjoyed paid holidays in their job for the first time thanks to the rights we won from Europe, and millions more got extra time off to spend with their children and their friends, go away with the family or simply have a well-earned break.

"Decent amounts of holiday pay for all is a relatively recent win, fought for by generations of trade unionists, and guaranteed by the EU. We can't take it for granted.

"But voting to leave the EU risks the paid holidays of millions.

"We know that some of the biggest cheerleaders for Brexit see protections for ordinary British workers - like paid holiday - as just red tape to be binned.

"And we know that bad bosses are rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of being able to cut workers' hard-won entitlements.

"The risk to paid holidays just shows that voting to leave the EU is a step into the unknown for everyone who works for a living."

Brexit Warnings
Brexit Warnings

Advertisement