Labour's plan for new Bank Holidays

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/22/labour-plan-four-new-bank-holidays-for-each-uk-patron-saint

A link to the Guardian article

It will make no difference to ordinary workers, many have to take bank holidays out of their 28 day annual holidays .

More in the spring is daft, such a long stretch between August and December

Just more daft, irrelevant, populist nonsense from a party which has totally lost direction. As Annie says, it will make no difference to most people, in fact it will be worse, as four more days would have to be taken as directed by the employer, rather than employees choice.

For such an anti-religious party, what on earth are they doing suggesting saint's days for bank holidays.

Smacks to me of cheap populist jingoism by a party with a contempt for the intelligence of ordinary voters.

Yet another example of an idiotic suggestion from a political party which appears to have run out of ideas .

It smacks of desperation to me, just like the truly senseless suggestion a while back to give votes to 16 year olds.

Mind you it's what we have come to expect from dear Corbyn isn't it?

Just more daft, irrelevant, populist nonsense from a party which has totally lost direction

Smacks to me of cheap populist jingoism by a party with a contempt for the intelligence of ordinary voters

Thank you GillT and M0nica who said it for me.

It is also rather offensive I think. So many people are struggling, not all I know, but a sizeable percentage. Housing instability and expense, employment insecurity, student loans, crumbling NHS etc., etc., and they think we are all going to be dancing in the streets on bloody saints' days?

No more please. They are another outdated item, why let some lucky people have the same few days off each year?
Just add 7 days onto peoples holiday entitlement so that they can choose when they want them.
Having been in the hospitality business for years and now caring work I have never had bank holidays off.

As someone who worked mainly in retail Bank Holidays were just another working day but made grumpy because I had to work!

I’m afraid it will affect employees because their employers will have to foot the bill, the money will have to come from somewhere.
A day off, no productivity at a time when we are supposed to be trying to get onto our feet again and raise our output.

jusnoneed said it for me.

Exactly Situp it will certainly affect productivity, and the last thing the country needs at the moment.
Populist claptrap from a party that now specialises in populist claptrap, and yet another bribe to vote for them.

I do hope comrade Corbyn is going to pay my employees wages for these extra holidays he is hoping to give out. More sweeties anyone?

Worse for retired people too as clubs, classes etc close on Bank Holidays.

How will it work? Will each country hold these bank holidays on different days? Will they be on a Monday ?

Well, there you go, kitty, Gransnet has spoken. Not only are they at the wrong time of year but they shouldn't even be considered.

I find it odd that populist claptrap like blue passports is warmly welcomed but celebrating the patron saint's day of each UK country is roundly condemned.

28 days annual holidays minus 8 bank holidays , 20 days annual holidays, less 4 Saint Days = 16 days annual holidays .

AB, are you sure that employers can legally do that?

It does kind of point to the need for strong unions if employers are doing ths...

There is a legal requirement for an employer to give 20 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays . Many employers ( think leisure and retail) lump them all together as they trade on the bank holidays .
Not sure what you mean Mazie it’s the way it’s been for years .

Northern Ireland and Scotland already have bank holidays on their national Saints’ days. They have nine or ten bank holidays a year while England and Wales have eight. We have the fewest in Europe.

But I’m not sure that Corbyn’s proposal is the best way to allocate new public holidays. Two extra days off in March - just before Easter too.

Big employers usually give a day off in lieu if they don’t close down for a bank holiday. But probably not all employers. Self employed, zero hours workers, gig economy etc are not likely to benefit from this.

Not sure what you mean Mazie it’s the way it’s been for years

But Ab seems to be saying that employers are taking BHs out of the 20 days statutory holiday entitlement when in fact they should be additional to it.

It used to be commonplace that if you worked a BH you were either paid double time or got a day off in lieu.

I suppose that with the modern expectation that people should work 7 days a week, 24 hours a day (OK, I'm exagerating) and no recognition of any day of the week being 'special' or different, double time and days off in lieu have all gone out of the window now?

When I was self employed the only time I could take holidays was on bank holidays which I could sometimes add another day to. Other times they were useful because I could go into the office and now that the phone would be quiet all days and I could get things done.
We have fewer than other countries but the choice of dates is stupid and needs a lot more discussion.
People will just take the days in between off sick or will take them as holidays and the country will end up closing down as it does not between Christmas and New Year.
I support Corbyn but I do sometimes want to give him a shake.

Although I'm a lifelong labour supporter, this is one idea that. as an active Humanist, I am appalled by. The vast majority of young people in this country are not religious (over 70% I believe) and even if more bank holidays were a good idea, these would be meaningless to the younger generation and those to come, as well as to non-Christians and non-believers.

Employers ARE NOT taking bank holidays from the statutory days they are adding them on Mazie . As I said in my previous post many employers trade on actual bank holidays and those days are given as extra statutory days . Can’t see a problem .