Usdaw welcomes Trade Minister’s clear commitment to Parliamentary vote on extending Sunday shopping Hours

Retail Union Usdaw has warmly welcomed Trade Minister Gerry Sutcliffe’s clear commitment to put any proposal to extend Sunday shopping hours to a vote in Parliament.

The Minister, speaking to delegates at Usdaw’s annual conference in Blackpool, said that rumours the Government would use a regulatory reform order to make changes to the existing six hour limit on large stores opening their doors on Sundays were untrue.

“We’re absolutely delighted that Gerry has made this commitment because we believe that the arguments against extending Sunday shopping hours are irresistible,” said Usdaw General Secretary John Hannett. “Our members overwhelmingly oppose longer Sunday opening and if this issue is taken to a vote in Parliament we’re confident their voice will be heard and the perfectly workable existing arrangements will continue, allowing shoppers time to shop, retailers time to make money and shopworkers some valuable time with their loved ones.”

A packed meeting launching Usdaw’s Save Our Sundays campaign heard supermarket worker Heather Morris - who is in remission from breast cancer - make a passionate plea for shopworkers to have precious time with their families.

“I have fond memories of my family Sundays and I want my children to have these sort of precious memories,” Heather told the meeting. “Shops aren’t an emergency service and there is no such thing as an emergency pint of milk. Customers need to remember that the shops trade for six hours but staff work for far at least eight hours and longer in many instances.”

Usdaw members from stores across the UK are sending specially commissioned Save Our Sundays postcards to their MPs to remind them that 95% of Britain’s 3.1 million retail workers are firmly opposed to working longer on Sundays.

“Gerry heard from many of our members who oppose any extension of Sunday shopping hours and I was very moved by the very personal testimonies from workers from a variety of companies,” John Hannett said. “I was heartened that Gerry came to hear from our members and that their powerful comments about the need to have quality time with their families will be fed back to the Government.

“A commitment to putting this issue before Parliament is a massive step forward for our vigorous campaign against this proposal. We’ve already secured the support of 239 MPs from all parties who have signed an Early Day Motion opposing more Sunday shopping hours.

“We believe this support from across the political spectrum shows the massive strength of feeling on the backbenches against extending Sunday hours which will erode the time Usdaw members can spend with their families on the only short day in the increasingly busy retail week.”

Notes to Editors:

• Contacts for newsdesks: Usdaw’s Media Officer, Paul Clarke, can be contacted on 0161 249 2469 or e-mail 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.
• Journalists can subscribe to receive Usdaw news releases via our online e-news service.

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