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Sunday trading law suspension bid for Olympics

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London 2012: Sunday trading law suspension bid for Olympics

Sunday trading laws are to be suspended on eight weekends from 22 July during the Olympics and Paralympics, the chancellor is expected to announce.

In his Budget, George Osborne is likely to say large shops in England and Wales can trade for more than six hours.

It would require emergency legislation which officials hope to pass by Easter.

Ministers hope the move would boost shopping, but campaign group Keep Sunday Special said it would act as "cover for creeping deregulation".

Church leaders are also thought likely to oppose the plans, while Labour indicated it would consider them before deciding whether or not to back them.

The Sunday Trading Act 1994 states that large shops over 280 square metres in England and Wales are restricted to any six hours of continuous trading between 10:00 and 18:00 on Sundays.

And they cannot open at all on Easter Sunday.
'Profoundly worrying'

The law also includes specific measures to protect the rights of shop workers who do not wish to work on Sunday.

By temporarily suspending these rules, the government hopes hundreds of thousands of visitors who head to London for the sporting spectacle will take advantage of late-night shopping in the West End, boosting flagging retail figures.

There is also optimism that people throughout England and Wales will visit supermarkets, garden centres and DIY stores on the lighter summer evenings.

Although the relaxation would be temporary, the Treasury is expected to closely monitor its effects and a permanent move has not been ruled out if it proves a success.

Tory MP Nadine Dorries predicted that Mr Osborne would "face a barrage of criticism" as a result of the move.

She posted on Twitter: "Arrogant to impose without debate and vote of whole house.

"Is the coalition government secretly implementing an anti-Christian agenda. And if so, who is driving it, Cameron and Osborne or the LDs?"

Last year, Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey warned that a temporary lifting for the Games was likely to lead to a permanent change and could stop staff enjoying the "once-in-a-lifetime" chance to enjoy the sporting spectacle.

She had been responding to a bid by party colleague Mark Menzies to make the change with his own bill.

Mr Menzies said he was "absolutely delighted" that the plan was now being taken up by the Mr Osborne, adding that it would "send out a very powerful message that Britain is open for business".

The MP for Fylde, whose professional background is in retail, said he had been told an estimated 1,700 extra part-time jobs could possibly be created as a result at the new shopping centre near the Olympic park.

And he said he had "no desire at this stage" to see the looser rules applied beyond August.

Keep Sunday Special said the rumours were "profoundly worrying". and it totally opposed the "unnecessary" move.

Meanwhile, the body which represents convenience stores has already warned it could set an unwelcome precedent.

Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: "Any relaxation, even just for London during the Olympics, would erode our existing, popular, Sunday trading rules.

"Retailers will benefit greatly from the Olympics and they do not need a few extra hours on three additional Sundays to do it."

He said if the government made this concession, it would open the door for the big retail lobby to press for all sorts of exemptions for other events, and "undermine the whole principle".

In Scotland, Sunday trading has long been deregulated with shops deciding their own hours.

In Northern Ireland, legislation brought in 1997 allows large shops over 280 square metres to open between 13:00 and 18:00 on Sundays.


I would be against this.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
It would help the economy, so yes I support it.
Reply 2
Why is there a Sunday trading law?

It's quite ridiculous.

Story put straight:

Allow businesses to open on Sunday as they would normally, yet make specific provisions allowing religious people who would not work on the day...to not work on the day. As simple as that. This is the 21st century; sunday is no more holy than monday. These are simply manmade days (another race could have 25 days in a week etc etc)
Reply 4
Original post by tehFrance
It would help the economy, so yes I support it.


Provided taxes were paid in the UK....lolz.
Reply 5
Original post by LiamSP
why?


I used to work in retail, and I will probably working there again in a few months. Sunday was a day where I could relax visit family and things, or have the entire evening to do university work. Depending on how long they want to extend the hours to, that freedom and time to yourself on a Sunday evening would be gone.
People that work in retail aren't machines and also would like to do things on a Sunday.
P.S. It's either all or nothing. You either deem Sunday a rest day and allow no shops to open or you allow all to open whenever and for how long they want - none of this half-half rubbish. The fact that large shops are allowed to open on Sunday for a short time already negates it being a 'rest day'! :rolleyes:
Original post by ocelotrevs
I used to work in retail, and I will probably working there again in a few months. Sunday was a day where I could relax visit family and things, or have the entire evening to do university work. Depending on how long they want to extend the hours to, that freedom and time to yourself on a Sunday evening would be gone.
People that work in retail aren't machines and also would like to do things on a Sunday.


Yes, which is why there a specific measures to prevent this. You will not be made to work against your will - many will be allowed to exempt themselves from sunday work.
Reply 8
Original post by Sovr'gnChancellor£
Yes, which is why there a specific measures to prevent this. You will not be made to work against your will - many will be allowed to exempt themselves from sunday work.


Will that be different from the current rules or be applied to those who work after the stores "normal hours". Because I get the feeling that if you work on Sunday, there will be no protection against working the extra hours. That's the nature of shift work, you have at least 2 weeks notice or something like that before any changes to your shift can be implemented.
Do you have evidence to the contrary?
The Sunday Trading Act, whilst a move in the right direction, is riddled with religious overtones. It's time we integrated with the rest of continental Europe and stopped assuming life comes to a halt on a Sunday.
Reply 10
Original post by suffocation1992
The Sunday Trading Act, whilst a move in the right direction, is riddled with religious overtones. It's time we integrated with the rest of continental Europe and stopped assuming life comes to a halt on a Sunday.


Why is that a bad thing? This is meant to be a Christian country.
I say this as someone who is NOT religious.
Original post by ocelotrevs
Why is that a bad thing? This is meant to be a Christian country.
I say this as someone who is NOT religious.


Of course it is meant to be a Christian country, I accept that. Forcing people to live their lives around a religion-based law that bizarrely controls how a company can operate is very strange.
Reply 12
My opinion has nothing to do with religion at all, but I just think it's nice to have one day a week where people are encouraged to rest and spend time with their families.

Of course it's unrealistic to expect everything to be closed on a Sunday which is why I think our current 6 hour opening hours works fine.
Original post by Sovr'gnChancellor£
Why is there a Sunday trading law?

It's quite ridiculous.

Story put straight:

Allow businesses to open on Sunday as they would normally, yet make specific provisions allowing religious people who would not work on the day...to not work on the day. As simple as that. This is the 21st century; sunday is no more holy than monday. These are simply manmade days (another race could have 25 days in a week etc etc)


You'll change your tune if you work in retail or in any customer facing role.

Sundays are great for us because we can relax, knowing we only have six hours to do. I would quit my job if Sundays became full trading days, I know several others who would too.
Would be nice to have the option to shop at the big stores on Sunday but honestly i don't really care that much.

If retail workers want it to remain a 6 hour day then may as well do that.
1) It isn't fair on shop workers, who would have to work even longer (and I don't work in retail).
2) This is a Christian country, and Sunday is the Sabbath.
Original post by Sovr'gnChancellor£
Why is there a Sunday trading law?

It's quite ridiculous.

Story put straight:

Allow businesses to open on Sunday as they would normally, yet make specific provisions allowing religious people who would not work on the day...to not work on the day. As simple as that. This is the 21st century; sunday is no more holy than monday. These are simply manmade days (another race could have 25 days in a week etc etc)


In what world is that fair? If you're going to let shops open on Sundays it should be up to the individual to discuss whether or not they'd work then with their employer when they start the contract. The employer shouldn't have to take the employee's religion in to account.

I wouldn't want to work on Sundays as much, but should me be being athiest mean others get preferential treatment?
Should be scrapped permanently. These days, for a number of people Sunday is no different to any other day. The majority of people who work in retail are limited (in most cases I've seen) by their contract hours. And no one seems to mention that even if businesses were given the option to open for more than 6 hours on a Sunday then they're not guaranteed as it may not be profitable...
I work in retail. There really ios no issue with opening ona sunday...
"Protect workers who don't want to work on a Sunday."

Please, get a different job then. I've worked Sundays as it was the only job I could get. I didn't bitch about it because I wanted the day off, what a joke.

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