Teachers and other workers are being urged to take a lunch break

The survey for the Trades Union Congress says teachers do an average of 11 hours of unpaid work a week

The University College Union said if this extra work was paid for, it would equate to nearly £10,000 extra in teachers' and lecturers' yearly pay.

This was nearly an hour more than the second biggest group - senior officers in police, fire and armed services.

The survey comes as the TUC is urging staff to take a stand for one day by taking a proper lunch break or going home on time.

We cannot build a world class education sector on the exploitation of staff

Sally Hunt

UCU joint general secretary

It also suggests that managers take the opportunity to say thank you to their staff by buying them a coffee or a cocktail.

Sally Hunt UCU joint general secretary said: "It will come as little surprise that education professionals are working extra hours to get the job done.

"Rising class and seminar sizes, increased bureaucracy and ever greater pressure to compete make a mockery of the work life balance for many."

'Hours down'

She added that work was increasingly impacting on the family life of lecturers.

"An after work coffee or cocktail would be a nice gesture, but what we really need is a recognition by universities and colleges that we cannot build a world class education sector on the exploitation of staff."

The director of human resources policy at the employers' organisation the CBI, Susan Anderson, said: "It is not in anyone's interest to routinely work very long hours although, as the TUC has previously recognised, it can be necessary for staff at times to work longer than normal."

She added: "What the TUC has not pointed out is that the percentage of people working more than an extra hour a week last year fell to its lowest level for more than 15 years and the total number doing so is 4.78 million, down 440,000 since 2003."