TEACHERS and lecturers do an average of more than 11 hours unpaid work every week, according to figures released today.

Staff teaching in schools, colleges and universities who do unpaid overtime would work for free until March 22 if they did all their extra hours at the start of the year, the TUC said.

If they were paid an hourly rate for the overtime they would get another £9,937 a year on average, according to the TUC figures.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "No-one says we should turn into a nation of clock watchers, or never put in extra time when there's a sudden crisis or sudden rush.

"But full-time staff in the UK work the longest hours in Europe and are the most likely to do unpaid overtime."

The average unpaid overtime across the UK has fallen by six minutes in the last year.

But teachers and lecturers have told the government's 60,000 strong Labour Force Survey that they do an average of 11 hours 36 minutes unpaid work a week - the same as last year.

The survey was carried out before the national workforce agreement between the Government and unions which is expected to cut teachers' workload.

The TUC has designated this Friday "Work Your Proper Hours Day" and is urging workers to take a proper lunch break and go home on time.

Chris Keates, general secretary of teachers' union NASUWT, said: "The TUC is right to highlight that there is a continuing long hours culture in workplaces across the UK."