Usdaws Scottish members celebrate as bill banning stores opening on Xmas Day receives Royal Assent

Retail union Usdaw’s Scottish members are celebrating after a bill banning big stores from opening on Christmas Day received Royal Assent after the Queen signed the legislation into force.

Usdaw members will never face the grim prospect of their Christmas Day celebrations being ruined by their employers and the Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Trading bill sponsored by Labour MSP Karen Whitefield also has a provision that will force big stores to close their doors on 1 January if there is any evidence that retail staff are being forced to work.

“We’re delighted this sensible bill has received Royal Assent and Usdaw members now have a legal right to enjoy Christmas dinner with their loved ones like most other workers,” says Usdaw General Secretary John Hannett. “Our members played such a central role in lobbying their MSPs to secure a genuine victory for common sense after they told us loud and clear that they needed guaranteed time off with their families in what is already the most deregulated shopping environment in Europe.

“Usdaw’s policy is that we remain totally opposed to big stores opening their doors on New Year’s Day. Our research shows that there is no evidence whatsoever that stores not opening on that day will have a negative impact on the Scottish economy and 95% of our members say it will ruin their traditional Hogmanay and New Year’s Day celebrations.

“The Scottish Executive has given us a guarantee that if evidence is produced that retail staff are being forced to work on New Year’s Day then they will invoke tough powers in this new bill to stop them opening which is a welcome step forward in protecting shopworkers rights in the incredibly busy festive period.

“Although we are pleased Christmas Day is protected we are making it clear that Usdaw members will be on hand to report employers who coerce their employees to work on New Year’s Day. If Usdaw members provide strong evidence we would expect legalisation to be introduced to protect hard working shop staff who are only demanding a proper work-life balance.”

For more information visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/campaigns/cdnydscotland/

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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