Union officials are urging MEPs to oppose the UK's controversial opt-out from the European Working Time Directive in a bid to improve health and safety for hundreds of thousands of graduates and other staff.
Signing up to the European directive would help "hard pressed" staff and would be a manageable change for British industry, the TUC said ahead of a crucial debate by MEPs later this week on the opt-out.
The union said that workers in the UK put in the longest hours in Europe, with one in eight regularly working more than 48 hours a week.
A heavy workload can be "dangerous", the TUC warned, with 460,000 workers putting in 60-plus hours a week. It added that reductions in working time could be achieved through higher productivity which benefited both employees and employers.
Brendan Barber, the TUC's general secretary, said: "MEPs have consistently opposed the UK individual opt-out from the 48-hour week, and they should do so again.
"Our report shows that the impact on business of ending the opt-out is much exaggerated. Many workers only work a few hours over the limit and employers would get plenty of time to adjust."
