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 Home Campaigns Scottish Christmas Day and New Years Day Trading Resources
Scotland votes to keep stores closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day
23 February 2005
Scottish shoppers have overwhelmingly voted to keep stores shut on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day in a poll supported by MSP Karen Whitefield and retail union Usdaw.
Ninety nine per cent of those polled backed a ban as part of the Labour MSP for Aidrie and Shotts and Usdaw's three months consultation testing support for a new bill to outlaw shops from opening on those days.
As the law stands shops can open on both those days so Karen Whitefield is introducing a bill into the Scottish parliament to close that loophole and she is delighted at the almost total support for her proposal.
"I knew my bill had a lot of support, but this result is much better than even my best expectations," Karen Whitefield said. "Virtually everyone who responded recognised the need to respect those two days as ones where families can come together and take a breather from the hectic retail year."
The bill would make it illegal for shops with a sales area over 280 square metres to open on December 25th or January 1st and Usdaw supports heavy fines for those retailers who might break the law if it passes through Holyrood.
Usdaw General Secretary John Hannett said: "We have had a fantastic response from not just our members and shoppers, but from a number of retailers in Scotland who recognise the need to respect these two special days."
"I'm pleased we have got such a positive response in Scotland, but I'm not surprised as there is now a clear consensus that there is no economic need for shops to open their doors or any appetite for consumers to shop on those days "
Notes to Editors:
- Contacts for newsdesks: Usdaw's Media Officer, Paul Clarke, can be contacted on 0161 224 2804 or at paul.clarke@usdaw.org.uk.
- Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union, with over 340,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
- More information and news releases are available at our online Newsroom.
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