Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17419351
Ridiculous, what's anti-Christian about trying to help the economy?

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

wheres Clarkson, he'll single handedly handle whoever objects. didnt he take a dig at Italy recently.

Personally Sunday trading laws should be stopped altogether rather than just relaxed. This law in its current form stems from the late 40s but initially its what Christians imposed or wanted to impose years before. We are, I would like to believe a secular society & should cater for all not just bow down to the ideals of the Christian church.

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

I am not going to come from this from a christians point of view as i am agnostic, what is exactly wrong though in having just one day without shops going full steam and people just take time to chill.?

Most of the larger supermarkets open 24/6 as it is,and 6 hours sunday why the rush to 24/7 they say the brits do longer hours then people on the continent and have no proper time with their families, is dragging your backside around a supermarket sunday really quality time.

I think the economy aspect is overplayed myself people can only spend their money once if they cannot shop in the time available now 24/6 and 6 hours sunday there really is no hope.:(

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

I vote for ditching sunday trading laws....delia behind me shouting "lets be having you!"

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

Totally agree ,forget about the religious side of sunday trading that is a nonsense nowadays ,allowing an extra few hours trading on sunday will not make much difference to the economy if any and will only serve to take free time from workers .

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

Sunday trading laws should be ditched completely as the is no logical reason in modern society for such an archaic law to still be in place, it is not as if the majority of people go to church so Sunday should be classed the same as any other day.

We need to realise that nowadays many people work of a Sunday and it should be treated as just another working day, remember that the employees that work of a Sunday still only work a 5 day week the same as everyone else.

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

I used to work at airport..did most if not all public holidays..and my days off used to be tuesday and wednesdays...which I deligently went to uni...and to be honest...having sunday off is a pain..as I can do more when everything is open

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

Families need at least one day that they can call there own .My wife works every sunday (8am-5pm)and most saturdays ,the days off in the week she has i am usually at work and the kids at school

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

That is the choice you have made as do most people who work nowadays we do not want to take a backwards step and allow the church a foothold in our modern way of life.

We choose the hours we work by accepting the jobs that we do if you want to have Sunday free then the only real option is for your wife and every other person who works on a Sunday to look for another job because if the Sunday trading laws were ever rescinded we would lose many jobs within our economy which could include her position.

So what do you prefer a Sunday day of rest or a lower family income, my vote is for an increase in jobs by extending normal working hours to Sunday it makes more sense.

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

I am quite surprised peter as a former trade union rep you take the position you do,if all uk PLC is going to do is commerce 24/7 with families under pressure to work ,work, work what time to actually relax.?

In France they have a much more sensible approach even though it could be argued they are much more secular then us most of the small shops are shut if not all outside of the Major towns and so are the larger shops as people spend time together and have long lunches over a bottle of wine,one of the people i work with has a son living in france and its much less uptight there then in the UK ,and the pace of life is much slower,they do not believe in a work work work society.

I work sundays as i work in the NHS but realise the importance of free time together.

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

There always been strange abnormalties uk.

Seaside reosrts allowed opening due to tourist industry supermarkets, shopping precients.

The one in me due to back ground say it should be all closed but other says it creates jobs and jobs is needed. Small shops not sure would open due to costs its ok opening up 8 weeks but do this throughtout year having to employ extra staff no guarantee of upturn in customers might put them off.

The other is many got cristian/catholic beliefs would this negate whether its actually viable.

The other is before we know it all holidays negated its open 365 days a year. After all we been peddled we get too many by MP's but infact we dont get as many some abroad.

Its definate thought provoking discusion whether it should be permenant change I cant say.

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

I have been a union rep in many businesses that have worked on Sunday and by virtue of the businesses involved the is no way around Sunday working, in fact many companies offer 5 out 7 or 4 on 4 off shifts which is the norm in this day and age as Sunday in many businesses is just a normal working day excluding retail which is the business in question are not affected by Sunday trading laws.

I have worked for Sainsbury's distribution and B&Q distribution and both worked the weekend because the stores still required stock to be delivered, in my new position the will be the occasional Sunday shift required but that is the way of the world and unions accept this as normal.

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

Do the unions accept it peter , i have just been on the shopworkers union site USDAW this is what they had to say about sunday trading laws.

The shopworkers Union Usdaw has welcomed today's announcement by the Government that they are to leave the laws covering Sunday trading in England and Wales unchanged and will seek to simplify the legislation dealing with age-restricted sales.

1. A survey of over 10,000 Usdaw members completed in April this year found that:

91% opposed large shops being able to open all hours on a Sunday

95% thought the current ban on large shops opening on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday should continue.

2. A Gfk/NOP survey carried out last year found that 89% of the public were opposed to any relaxation of the Sunday Trading laws.

It would seem many unions are concerned workers might be co-erced into working ie have pressure put upon them. USDAW seem very unkeen on any relaxation.

Re: Sunday trading laws to be suspended during Olympics?
 

That is the case ,anyone in retail will tell you that they are required to work sundays there is no choice.Many retail outlets do not take staff on specifically to work the weekends they simply rota in existing staff for those days regardless of any weekend activities that the workers participate in