There have been calls (from the right of centre by the look of it) for these to be scrapped to 'help the economy bounce back' and I wondered what people thought about that.My own instinct is that shops are open quite long enough (not to mention 24/7 online trading) and that it would not lead to extra sales.On the other hand, it does seem crazy that I can go to a Tesco Express at 9am on a Sunday but not a Tesco Metro.
Susan Kelly ● 2343d12 Comments
If Sunday shopping arrangements were to become the same as other days of the week, then so should the corresponding parking restrictions.
Peter Evans ● 2343d
More importantly the staff and Trades Unions should be consulted before any changes are considered. We should surely all know by now how essential our shop staff have been to us for the last few months, however, the way some of them have been treated has been appalling. Big supermarkets took government money in business rate relief yet still paid out generous dividends to shareholders, and made really handsome pension contributions to directors, what about the people on the shop floor? To even consider asking them to do more shifts without commensurate salary increases and better T&Cs would be outrageous.
Vanessa Smith ● 2343d
In my day, weekend working triggered overtime payments which would to some extent restrain employers from requiring it. Every day and all hours are now regarded as equal and staff are expected to be 'flexible' as in "a lot of our staff like the flexible hours", when in reality they get called in and stood down at short notice by a text message. Of course, this might all change in our newly enlightened post-virus utopia - or maybe it won't.
They are antiquated and should be changed with the proviso that no one should have their job negatively impacted by a refusal to work on a Sunday. I am sure there are lots of people including parents who can't work because of lack of childcare while their partner is at work during the week and students who would be delighted to have some work on a Sunday.
Claire Moran ● 2343d
I feel sorry for shop workers , especially on bank holidays when the majority of have a day off. Many shop workers are expected to work, and I doubt many of them get double bubble.
Keith Iddon ● 2343d
Spot on, Vanessa.
Alastair Banton ● 2343d
It seems the government is keen to suspend the laws for a year after lockdown. They're likely to face a fair amount of opposition from the back benches, though.If they're suspended for a year, I can't see them ever coming back.
Susan Kelly ● 2341d
Claire, the Sunday trading laws aren't antiquated. The law was substantially changed in 2004. It was a compromise, including no trading for big stores on the Sunday before Easter Monday. Lots of promises were made at the time not to force shop workers to work on Sunday and to pay premium rates. Many big employers have not kept their side of the bargain. I would like to see overtime at time and a half for working unsocial hours Monday to Saturday,double time for Sundays and treble time for Bank Holidays for shop-workers, by law, before any extension to trading hours is considered. Plus a big expansion of the various inspectorates to ensure that undercutting of wages by unscrupulous employers does not close law-abiding businesses. We've had rather too much laissez-faire in the last 40 years.
David McLoughlin ● 2341d
Think some people swap that holiday time for when they want to take it, rather than extra wage, correct me if wrong but do know a few that do this.
Janice Evans ● 2341d
Relaxing Sunday trading laws may help the High Street to compete against online shopping which is open 24 hours a day.
Chris Lucy ● 2341d
Kind of linked to this. I'm wondering what 'extras' the staff of the big supermarkets have been given during the last ten weeks. Wasn't there talk of some sort of bonus payment? A friend of mine, who works for Waitrose, told me that Waitrose have put the staff discount up to 25% over this period including on alcohol. As an extra (incidental) bonus to her she works on the fish and meat counter and is told to reduce certain produce as they day goes on and she is often, at the end of the day, able to 'bag' some heavily reduced goodies plus get 25% off.
Anne England ● 2341d
Lets face facts,these laws are out of date,all shops should have the option of opening if they want too,push away all our outdated legislation for the betterment of our society,regards to all.John
Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 2340d