THOUSANDS of North-East workers face an unhappy Easter thanks to Scrooge-like bosses.

A report by the TUC claims that more than 118,000 workers in the region taking Good Friday or Easter Monday off will not receive holiday pay.

A further 6,000 people who will be in work on the two bank holidays will not be paid extra or be able to take a day off in lieu.

The report, called Give Workers an Easter Break, says that twice as many people across the country will work this bank holiday period as worked over Christmas and New Year.

It calls on the Government to introduce reforms to rights of workers who may be vulnerable.

UK workers have no statutory right to take Easter Bank Holidays, or any others, as time off or to receive holiday pay if they do.

Workers also have no right to be paid a special rate for working bank holidays.

The UK is also the only EU country that allows employers to count bank holidays as part of the four weeks minimum paid annual leave guaranteed by the UK Working Time Directive.

Kevin Rowan, TUC Northern Regional Secretary, said: "While most of us in the North-East will be enjoying a well-earned Easter break, thousands of employees will be rather hot and cross that they will either be working or losing two days' pay this weekend."

The TUC is calling on the Government to give UK law a spring clean by introducing three new bank holidays to bring the UK up to the EU average and a statutory right to be paid to take bank holidays off.