Usdaw delighted as bill banning stores from opening on Christmas Day and New Years Day passes second stage at Holyrood

Usdaw members across Scotland are celebrating after a bill banning large stores from opening their doors on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day passed its second stage in the Scottish Parliament.

Members of the Justice Two Committee scrutinising the bill unanimously rejected six amendments that would have removed store closures on New Year’s Day from the bill or delayed its implementation.

The bill is being sponsored by Labour MSP Karen Whitefield and now faces a final vote of the full Scottish parliament before it becomes law.

“Usdaw members are delighted this bill has got such strong cross-party support from Justice Two MSPs who have closely scrutinised the bill,” says Usdaw General Secretary John Hannett. “Thousands of Usdaw members have lobbied their MSPs making our case that shopworkers want to spend time with their families on Christmas Day and during Hogmanay.

“The simple democratic act of writing to their MSPs has clearly had an impact as Justice Two has now backed a bill that has been well crafted by Karen Whitefield to make sure shopworkers and their families can enjoy Christmas around the dinner table with their families and not working in a shop.

“This bill will also make sure thousands of shopworkers across Scotland can enjoy the traditional Hogmanay celebrations without any negative impact on the Scottish economy.

“We’re taking nothing for granted as there is one more stage to go but when this bill was first presented to the Scottish Parliament it received almost unanimous support, and it returns from committee unamended, so we’re hopeful it has a good chance of becoming law.”

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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