Senior managers and officials top unpaid overtime list |
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Sat, 25 Feb 2006 13:05
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LONDON - New research from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) shows that 4.76 million workers put in unpaid overtime in the UK last year. But this was an overall decrease of 6 percent as compared to 2001. The trade union organization commented that senior managers and executives have nudged teachers at the top of the unpaid overtime stakes.
Senior managers put in 12 hours of unpaid overtime each week at an average, according to the report. This means that at least 45 percent of this group did not charge anything for £24,000 worth of work. This overwork was in stark contrast to the UK average, which stood at 7.4 hours each week. Overall 19.4 percent of all workers in the UK put in unpaid overtime hours last year as compared to 21 percent in 2001.
Transport drivers, road sweepers and refuse collectors, factory workers, dockers, construction workers and warehouse workers were least likely to put in unpaid man hours, the report said. "We are beginning to cut the UK's working hours, but there is still a long way to go before the UK gets anywhere near the European average," said Brendan Barber, the TUC General Secretary. He added that the European Union had an average of only 6.2 percent workforce that put in unpaid hours.
"Long hours are the enemy of productivity. They cover up poor management; bad work organization and a failure to invest. They burn out staff and sap morale," said Barber. The TUC has designated February 24 as "Work Your Proper Hours Day." Barber said that the day was meant to introspect on how the workplace can be bettered, "Work Your Proper Hours Day is an opportunity for a bit of fun after work and during lunch breaks up and down the country," he added.
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