1.1m working on Christmas Day – many without extra pay, TUC survey reveals

MORE EMPLOYEES will be working on Christmas Day compared to previous years, often without any extra pay, new research published today has revealed.

The TUC union has estimated that 1,104,000 employees will work tomorrow, an increase of 22,000 since 2016.

Care workers and nurses account for the biggest share of those on duty, totalling more than 300,000, said the union organisation.

The research indicated that a large army of chefs (39,000), kitchen assistants (29,000), waiting staff (18,000) and bar staff (15,000) will be working in hotels, pubs and restaurants, while 14,000 police officers and 18,000 security guards will be at work. Christmas Day services will also see 25,000 members of the clergy kept busy.

Many service sector workers will not get extra compensation for working on December 25, according to the TUC.

The union’s General Secretary, Frances O’Grady, said: “We owe a huge debt to all those working on Christmas Day. As we spend time with our loved ones, they keep Britain ticking over. Many on duty on will be on low pay, especially in sectors like hospitality and social care. They deserve to be fairly rewarded for the essential services they provide.”

It comes as Jacob Young, the newly-elected Conservative MP for Redcar in the old North Riding of Yorkshire, revealed he will keep working on Christmas Day with the rest of his factory colleagues because he “couldn’t drop the lads in it”.

Mr Young polled 18,811 votes, beating Labour’s Anna Turley into second place with 15,289 votes in this month’s General Election.

Speaking to Teesside Live about his victory, the Brexit-supporting chemical process operator at Wilton said: “I should have been working a three-month notice, but my employer has been really generous and said I can leave any time. But if I didn’t do Christmas Day it I’d be dropping the lads at work in it.”