Usdaw reps in Belfast stores have been encouraging shopworkers to respond to the consultation, which closes on Easter Monday. Many have responded online through the council’s website and 1,375 gave their response to the union, which was delivered to City Hall today.

On the key question “Should Belfast be designated as a holiday resort in order to provide large shops with the option to extend Sunday trading hours?” all of today’s individual responses from shopworkers answered “no”.

Yesterday Usdaw made their own submission to the consultation based on an extensive survey of retail staff, which revealed that 94% are opposed to extended Sunday trading in Belfast.

Paddy Lillis - Usdaw General Secretary Elect says: “Usdaw members working in retail have responded to Belfast City Council consultation on extended Sunday trading with a resounding ‘no’. The city council are running the same consultation again to see if attitudes have changed from a year ago and we have found our members are now even more opposed to extended Sunday trading.

“The current Sunday trading arrangements are a fair compromise, which has worked well for over 20 years, and gives everyone a little bit of what they want. Retailers can trade, customers can shop, staff can work; whilst Sunday remains a special day, different to other days, and shopworkers can spend some time with their family.

“Last year Retail NI, the independent retailers group, called for a summit to look at what is available for tourists and visitors on Sundays, after councillors rejected extending Sunday trading. We supported that call and remain disappointed that the council’s chief executive refused the request.

“If the city council has a genuine concern about what is on offer to tourists and visitors on Sunday, they should confirm their opposition to longer shop opening hours and support a summit to look at the issue in detail.

“Shopworkers have spoken, they have overwhelmingly rejected longer Sunday working and we hope city councillors are listening.”

Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 28% over the decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion