Northern Ireland Employment Minister Sir Reg Empey is to guarantee workers that they will receive a full 28 days annual holiday entitlement.

Up to 150,000 people across the province will benefit from the extra eight days and the rethink will mainly focus on those working in lower paid jobs.

At present, many employers force their staff to take the eight statutory holidays from their annual holiday entitlement of 20 days. The Minister said: "This is something that I think will be welcomed by a number of people. It will ensure that people do have an entitlement to holidays. It tends to affect people in lower paid jobs."

The changes will be introduced in 2009 when four days will be added with the next four being added subsequently.

The announcement is a decrease on the original figure suggested by former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain when he committed to introducing an extra 10 days.

(SB/SP)