Workers owed £23 billion overtime

Workers in Britain are losing out on £4,800 every year due to unpaid overtime, according to a recent report..

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) conducted a survey which found last year workers completed £23 billion of unpaid overtime amounting to an average of seven hours and six minutes each, down 18 minutes on 2005.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'We work the longest hours in Europe, and too many workplaces are gripped by a long hours culture.

"It is too easy for extra time to get taken for granted and then expected every week."

The TUC also calculated if everyone in the UK worked their unpaid overtime at the start of the year, they wouldn't receive a wage until 23 February

The North East came top of the survey of workers doing the most overtime with seven hours and 42 minutes.

Adele Moore