WIREDGOV

Commenting on government proposals published yesterday to move May Day from May to October, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'From trade unionists and holidaymakers to Morris dancers and horticulturists, British people have been celebrating May Day for centuries.

'It makes no sense to mess around with an established bank holiday that workers and businesses have built their schedules around.

'Rather than shifting the deck chairs, the government should instead end the UK's embarrassing honour of having the fewest public holidays in Europe.

'A new bank holiday in late October - focused on community work and volunteering - would give the country a huge boost and help break the four month slog between the August and Christmas breaks.'

The TUC is encouraging people who want to keep May Day to register their comments at the government's consultation webpage - www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/8068.aspx - and to join the debate on twitter with the hastags #keepmayday and #bankhol.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The economic case for a new bank holiday is made in the TUC report Why the UK can afford a Community Day, available at www.tuc.org.uk/extras/bankholidaybusinesscase.pdf

- The Community Day campaign is backed by the TUC, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Volunteering England, Community Service Volunteers (CSV) and the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA).

- To found out more information and sign up to the Community Day campaign, visit www.communityday.org.uk.

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Gibson T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: egibson@tuc.org.uk