HUNDREDS of thousands of people will work on Christmas Day with no guarantee of extra pay, while 35,000 will work for nothing, research has shown.

The survey, by the TUC, also found that about three million workers will not receive holiday pay for December 25.

It called on the European Commission to give UK workers a legal right to holiday pay on Bank Holidays and extra pay or time off if they have to work.

Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, said: "It is about time the season's grafters got paid more for working over the Christmas holidays, and it is about time Scrooge bosses had to give holiday pay to people who take time off work to enjoy the festivities."