Hundreds of thousands of people are forced to work long hours as employers break a law aimed at limiting the working week, the TUC says.

The trade union organisation said its research showed more people were now working longer than 48 hours a week than before European regulations on working time were introduced.

A poll of 2,000 people showed one in four had signed an opt-out from the working time regulations without being given any choice by their firms.

Two out of three were putting in more than 48 hours a week without even being asked to sign an opt-out, which was against the law.

The research was published today on the eve of the TUC Congress, which opens in Brighton tomorrow.

The TUC launched a special hot line and web site to hear from workers forced to put in long hours.

General secretary Brendan Barber said: "We are declaring war on Britain's long hours culture. We work the longest hours in Europe, yet other countries are more productive and earn more."

The long hours "disease" was gripping too many workplaces and too few people knew their rights on working time.

The UK is the only country in Europe that allows people at work to opt out of the 48-hour limit.

"Too many employers force staff to opt out," said Mr Barber, adding that many employers were ignoring the law.

Employer groups are lobbying the Government not to change the opt-out and there is likely to be a fierce row when the issue is reviewed at the end of this year.

Mr Barber said he was worried the Government was listening too much to employers and the argument that people should have the right to work long hours was wrong.

He said: "Our poll shows people are coerced into signing away their rights. People are not making a free choice because they love their jobs so much, as employer lobbyists say. We need to persuade the Government this so-called free choice is bogus.

"What makes me angry is that people cannot see the UK's very long hours are a symptom of badly organised, unproductive workplaces and are too often an easy way out for incompetent managers."

The TUC is asking people with examples of long hours abuses to ring the hot line on 0870 8500 500 or visit web site www.worksmart.org.uk
Monday September 8, 2003