Unions want over-stressed employees to work fewer hours

The STUC said the workers did six hours and 54 minutes extra work every week on average, which would earn them a further �4,517 if they had been paid.

The figures were published by the STUC and TUC.

The unions calculate that if everyone in the UK did all their unpaid overtime at the start of the year, it would be 22 February before they were paid.

They have declared 22 February Work Your Proper Hours Day, calling on employers to co-operate.

Across the UK, the numbers working unpaid overtime increased by 103,000 last year to nearly five million, or a fifth of the working population, with each doing unpaid work worth �4,995.

After years of progress, Scotland's long hours culture is enjoying an unwelcome renaissance Grahame Smith STUC general secretary

The pattern varies across the UK - with Scots working longer hours than workers in Yorkshire, the East Midlands, the south west and Northern Ireland.

But they work shorter hours than in north east England, the north west, the West Midlands, eastern England, Wales and the south east.

By far the most unpaid overtime is worked in London, where 741,000 people do seven hours 54 minutes a week, worth �7,587.

STUC general secretary Grahame Smith said: "After years of progress, Scotland's long hours culture is enjoying an unwelcome renaissance and today's figures suggest many people are not even being paid for putting in these extra hours.

"Workers in Scotland are giving away over �4,500 a year in unpaid overtime - that's too much time and money that could be better spent with friends and family."

He went on: "We're calling on all Scotland's employees, including bosses, to take a stand on Work Your Proper Hours Day by making sure they take a proper lunch break and leave on time."