Scrap bank holidays and make us work harder

Graham_Devon

It will help our economy flatline

If public holidays were scrapped it would add £19bn to Britain's annual economic output, a think tank says.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research says each bank holiday costs the UK economy £2.3bn.

England and Wales usually get eight bank holidays a year, with nine in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland.

This year Easter and the extra bank holiday for the Diamond Jubilee means there are five in April, May and June in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research says that if bank holidays were scrapped, Britain's GDP would be £19bn higher every year.

They can go do one!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17654781

StevieJ

Drip, drip, drip.

Browntoa

and thats not offset by the additional leisure spend elsewhere in the economy on a decent bank holiday weekend ??

vivatifosi

Graham_Devon wrote: »

They can go do one!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17654781

I completely agree Graham. When are we going to learn that what counts is how productive we are in the time we work, not how many hours are involved.

Graham_Devon

vivatifosi wrote: »

I completely agree Graham. When are we going to learn that what counts is how productive we are in the time we work, not how many hours are involved.

To me, it's yet another sign that big business would rather, and will lobby, to see a race to the bottom. This is just another area they are willing to take on.

Do we really need supermarkets open 24 hours, 365 days a year?

The only real thing that happens IMO is people store up their requirements. So shops and services are closed for a day. We'll enquire tommorow instead.

Going4TheDream

vivatifosi wrote: »

I completely agree Graham. When are we going to learn that what counts is how productive we are in the time we work, not how many hours are involved.

How true , and strangely I read somewhere yesterday that people are actually the most productive in the two days prior to going on holiday.......so maybe even more bank holidays are actually in order!

abaxas

Never really understood bank holidays.

Give some people a day off when others have to work, seams a bit unfair in my eyes.

J_i_m

Personally I don't mind working bank holidays.. as I get paid extra for doing so. Plus to me a bank holiday day is just like any other day, it has 24 hours in it that's all.

I'm accept I'm probably the odd one out on the whole though

misskool

never going to happen though is it?

slow news day at the bbc

J_i_m

Well no it's not gong to happen. Mostly because bank holidays offer too much potential for pomp and cermory of which plenty of business will exploit.

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Unemployment, too little work, a need to cut the hours so work is distributed to everyone.
Above is a fallacy advanced by the CBI who wish to deny Holidays, Pensions etc NO hang on it is already happening!
Blaming the workers for their hols is poor strategy.