UK workers will have a minimum of 28 days' paid leave from April 2009

A change in EU rules means the UK will have to stop counting its eight public holidays towards the EU 20-day minimum.

But Incomes Data Services says the UK will still lag entitlement elsewhere, which ranges from 28-29 days in the Netherlands to 39.5 days in Denmark.

The TUC says six million workers will benefit from the rise in paid leave.

ANNUAL LEAVE Denmark 39.5 Austria 38 Sweden 36 Slovakia 35 Luxembourg 35 France 35 Germany 34-39 Portugal 34 Czech Republic 33 Slovenia 33 Italy 32 Spain 32 Greece 32 Poland 31 Finland 31 Bulgaria 31 Belgium 30 Hungary 30 Romania 30 Ireland 29 Netherlands 28-29 UK 28 Source: Incomes Data Services

The UK entitlement will be raised in two stages, initially going up to 24 days from October 2007.

"The new regulations are clearly aimed at preventing the practice of including the current eight bank holidays in the minimum entitlement - whereby some employees effectively got just 12 days' annual leave," said Ken Mulkearn, Editor of IDS Pay Report.

However, even though they will get more paid holiday, UK full-time workers will still not have any legal right to avoid working on a public holiday if their employer wants them to.

The EU's Working Time Directive gives workers in all member states a minimum of 20 days paid leave.

Despite being bottom of the EU holiday league, the UK is still well ahead of many other developed nations.