Jingle bells, campaign swells, big shops must close all day

Usdaw, the UK's fifth biggest trade union, will tomorrow (Saturday) step up its battle to force Scotland's larger stores to close on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

A key fringe meeting at the Scottish Labour Party Conference in Inverness offers an ideal opportunity to bring delegates up-to-date with developments so far and sign up new supporters to the campaign waged on behalf of Scotland's 252,000 shopworkers.

Usdaw is supporting The Christmas Day and New Year's Day Trading (Scotland) Bill, proposed by Karen Whitefield, the Labour MSP for Airdrie and Shotts. This will ban shops larger than 280 square metres from trading on 25th December and 1st January in Scotland.

John Hannett, Usdaw General Secretary Elect, said: "Most people in Scotland can't believe that retailers wish to open on Christmas Day or New Year's Day and certainly can't believe that shoppers wish to shop on those days. The reality is very different. Retailers are moving towards Christmas Day and New Year's Day trading in Scotland and Usdaw is totally opposed to this.

"Larger shops can require hundreds of staff to be on duty. Retailers' claims that they would only seek volunteers are a smokescreen, as there would simply not be enough volunteers. They would force workers to come in and give up days that should be special.

"These decisions would be based on greed and boosting profit margins by stealing trade from any competitors who remain closed.

"Scotland - unlike England, Wales and Northern Ireland - has no legislative protection on shop trading hours. Scottish shops could open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Karen Whitefield's important Bill would protect two unique days acknowledged as special, family occasions."

Usdaw is urging supporters to sign a petition calling on the Scottish Parliament to take action to prevent retail workers from being forced to work on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The union also wants people to write to their MSP, asking them to support Karen Whitefield's Bill.

Speakers at Usdaw's fringe meeting - which takes place at 12-30pm on Saturday 28th February 2004 on the second floor of Eden Court - include John Hannett (Usdaw General Secretary Elect), Bruce Fraser (Usdaw Scottish Divisional Officer) and Karen Whitefield MSP.

Notes to editors:

• Karen Whitefield MSP's Christmas Day and New Year's Day Trading (Scotland) Bill will stop shops larger than 280 square metres (about the size of a tennis court) from trading on these two days in Scotland. Submitted to the Scottish Parliament late last year, the Bill is to progress to the next phase of the parliamentary process - public consultation - within months.

• Although trading in larger stores on Christmas Day and New Year's Day is not widespread, shopworkers genuinely fear that it is only a matter of time before it is commonplace. Debenhams experimented by opening two of their larger stores on Christmas Day 2003 (in Glasgow and Edinburgh). In a recent survey, most retailers said they had no plans to open on either of the two days - but said they might change their minds should any of their competitors chose to do so.

• Approximately 252,000 people work in shops in Scotland (one in 10 of all workers).

• Usdaw is the UK's fifth largest trade union with over 330,000 members. More information and news releases are available at our online Newsroom.

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© 2003 (USDAW) Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
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