THE TUC branded Reform UK’s overtime tax proposal a “cynical gimmick” today as Nigel Farage revealed plans to create a tax-free allowance for work exceeding 40 hours per week.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said the hard-right party’s pledge for workers earning less than £75,000 per year to be given an exemption for overtime would mean “weaker rights, longer hours and exhaustion at work.”

“Working people don’t need politicians encouraging a culture of ever-longer hours. They need decent pay rises, secure jobs and strong rights at work,” he said.

“If [he] was truly serious about reducing the tax burden on workers, he’d support fairer taxes on wealth and clamping down on tax avoiders in his own ranks like Richard Tice. But that might upset his corporate donors.”

Reform leader Mr Farage announced the policy proposal claiming it would total a £5 billion tax break for workers, which he would make up for through cutting benefits.

Mr Nowak added: “Reform want to strip away protections that keep workers safe and healthy — including limits on excessive hours and rights to paid holidays and rest breaks.

“And Farage’s claim to stand up for working people is frankly laughable. He wants to tear up the Employment Rights Act and scrap protections like day one sick pay, bans on exploitative zero-hours contracts and measures to stop fire-and-rehire abuses.

“This is not a plan to make work pay. It’s a charter for weaker rights, longer hours and exhaustion at work.

“And what about the millions of workers — mainly women — who work part time? Does Nigel Farage think their jobs matter less?”

Lucy Rigby, appointed chief secretary to the Treasury last week in a Cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of then health secretary Wes Streeting, also hit back at Mr Farage.

She said: “Nigel Farage pretends to stand up for working people but in reality he wants to cut back our NHS and strip away the hard-won boost to workplace rights Labour has delivered.

“If Reform want people to take their unfunded, back of a fag packet plans seriously, they should come clean about where their £40 billion of cuts would fall and which public services would pay the price.”

Ms Rigby pointed to gains brought in by Labour’s flagship Employment Rights Act, claiming: “That’s what being on the side of working people looks like.”