Union relaunches campaign to protect Christmas

Shopworkers' union Usdaw is to press ahead with its campaign to prevent supermarkets and large stores opening on Christmas Day. The union will be seeking to re-introduce into the Commons the Christmas Day (Trading) Bill, which ran out of time during the last Parliament.

"We are keen to see this campaign succeed, not least because of the recent debate on deregulating Sunday trading and Easter Sunday opening, which was recently raised by some retailers," said General Secretary Bill Connor.

"We would vigorously oppose any extension to trading hours and believe that shopworkers need further protection, not less."

Gwyneth Dunwoody, Labour MP for Crewe & Nantwich, promoted the Bill in the last Parliamentary session, but although it passed its Second Reading and Committee stages, it ran out of time because of the General Election.

Gwyneth Dunwoody will be re-launching the campaign by presenting a petition to Parliament tomorrow (June 27), calling for Christmas Day opening in large stores to be outlawed. Over 150,000 people have signed the petition.

"The issue of Christmas Day opening is very important to our members in the retail industry," said Mr Connor. "We had high hopes of getting the Bill on the Statute Book in the last session, but because of the timing of the General Election, that wasn't possible.

"Gwyneth Dunwoody did an excellent job of promoting the Bill and my union and our members are grateful for that. We are now looking for one of the MPs who are successful in the Private Members' Bill ballot to take up the issue and get this much needed protection for shopworkers."

Gwyneth Dunwoody has also put down an Early Day Motion promoting the issue. Mrs Dunwoody said: "I was delighted to be able to promote this Bill. When I first heard of the issue, I was amazed that any large store would want to open on Christmas Day. This practice must be ended. It is only right that shopworkers, most of whom are women with children, should be allowed to be at home with their family on this very special day. They should certainly not be forced to go to work."

Notes:

More large stores opened on Christmas Day 2000 than in any previous year.

Usdaw will be seeking to persuade one of the MPs who are successful in the Private Member's Bill ballot to promote the Christmas Day (Trading) Bill. Twenty MPs' names will be drawn out of the hat and the results will be known this Thursday (June 28).

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