Easter trading law inaction upsets
Labour Minister Trevor Mallard announced earlier yesterday the Government was not going to introduce legislation on the issue because submissions to a discussion paper were polarised.
He said business owners and business groups generally supported an easing of the rules, while unions and churches wanted them to stay as they are.
That was reflected in the reaction to his announcement.
%26quot;The Government seems to have taken the easy way out by yet again kicking for touch,%26quot; Retailers Association chief executive John Albertson said last night.
%26quot;We are extremely disappointed that Mr Mallard will not introduce legislation to remove the anomalies.%26quot;
Mr Albertson said there were major problems in existing legislation.
%26quot;They will simply not go away and at some stage Parliament will need to recognise the problem and fix it once and for all,%26quot; he said.
Green Party MP Sue Bradford said Mr Mallard had washed his hands of an important issue, because the Easter trading legislation did not adequately protect workers%26#39; rights to spend their public holiday with family or friends.
%26quot;A maximum fine of $1000 is not enough to stop traders from opening illegally,%26quot; she said.
%26quot;The Department of Labour should be given the legal power to close for the day businesses which choose to break the law, rather than just fine them.%26quot;
The Catholic organisation Caritas welcomed the announcement and said Easter was the most sacred of days for Christians.
The Council of Trade Unions added its voice to the debate, saying that the requirement that retailers close on Friday and Sunday is not onerous and should be respected.
%26quot;The current Easter Sunday trading restrictions ensure that retail workers have at least some ability to participate in the huge range of family, community and religious activities that take place around New Zealand over Easter,%26quot; said CTU secretary Carol Beaumont.
%26quot;In 1990 most shops could not trade on any Sunday and they were unable to open on nine of the 11 recognised public holidays. Now they can trade on 51 out of 52 Sundays and every public holiday except Good Friday, Christmas Day and the morning of Anzac Day.
%26quot;There needs to be some community days when shop employees can join other workers for a holiday, and the three and a half days a year where shops cannot trade is a pretty small restriction on retailers.%26quot;
A discussion document was issued after the defeat of a bill that would have allowed local councils to decide whether shops in their areas should be able to open on Easter Sunday.
An earlier bill that would have allowed all shops to open on Easter Sunday was also defeated.
Exemptions for shops to open on Easter Sunday already exist, but there are persistent complaints about the irregular way they apply.
Some tourist destinations, such as Queenstown and Taupo, can trade and so can dairies and service stations selling food, drink, household items, personal items and fuel.
Shops selling mainly souvenirs, duty free goods, pharmacies and garden centres are also exempt.
- NZPA
