Network Journal 2006 Issue 1 March

Action all areas to Save Our Sundays

The Sunday Trading campaign is well underway following the Government’s announcement that it is seeking views on the pros and cons of extending Sunday opening for large stores in England and Wales.

Usdaw is already putting together evidence for the consultation and wants its members to air their views.

"Whether we can defeat the retailers' proposals to extend Sunday shopping will come down to the quality of our evidence and the number of MPs we can convince," said General Secretary John Hannett.

The first mailing has been sent to all activists in retail in England and Wales to find out if staff are under pressure to work on Sundays and what effect Sunday working has on their lives.

"The evidence from our members is crucial," said John. "Some retailers are telling the Government that they have more volunteers to work on Sundays than they have vacancies. Where our members are under pressure, we need to reveal it."

Reps have been sent questionnaires in Usdaw's easy '10 questions' style and are encouraged to approach both members and non-members about the consultation, as well as to offer advice using the new leaflet on the right to opt out of Sunday working.

Usdaw's independent survey of the shopping public late last year also showed that the majority of consumers do not want extended Sunday opening.

Not just for retail staff

This campaign will not only affect members in retail, but other sectors as well. Distribution in particular, but also food manufacturing, catering and home shopping.

Surveys have also been produced for members not in retail to tell us how longer Sunday opening would affect them.

This is on Usdaw's web site at: www.usdaw.org.uk/surveys/1131704005_26523.jsp

Usdaw is urging its members to contact the Government directly about Sunday trading. The more responses it receives from shop staff who oppose longer Sunday trading, the better. You can e-mail your views to sundaytrading@dti.gov.uk, or write to: Maria Bazell, Consumer and Competition Directorate, Bay 418, DTI, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET.

What you said

Hundreds of staff have already completed the survey and the results are stacking up:

• 92 per cent oppose any extension of Sunday trading hours
• 62 per cent said they came under pressure to work on Sundays
• Only 11 per cent have used their right to opt out of Sunday working
• 58 per cent of carers found trouble finding suitable care when they had to work on Sundays.

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