John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary says: “The New West End Company started their campaign for longer Sunday opening by claiming it would create 2,000 new jobs, now they are saying that it will provide extra hours for existing staff. By their own arguments you can’t have both, but the truth is that longer Sunday trading will probably result in neither.

“The last thing the retail sector needs at the moment is increased overheads, with no guarantee of additional income through the tills. Opening shops for longer does not give customers more money to spend. We have no doubt that retailers would seek to mitigate the costs of longer opening without increasing their overheads, so that means no new jobs and pressure on pay rates, particularly Sunday premiums.

“This survey is a small sample of people working in retail, asking if they would like an extra two hours premium pay on Sundays, but that is not what is being offered by the Government. They are proposing an end to national regulation in favour of councils making up their own Sunday trading hours. We firmly believe that will result in a race to the bottom and many areas will become completely deregulated. So staff who are now promised an extra two hours at premium pay could end up with 24 hour trading 7 days a week and cuts in pay rates.

“Usdaw’s own survey of over 10,000 shopworkers shows that 91% are opposed to longer Sunday trading, which we believe to be the authentic voice of retail staff. They have very real concerns about the balance between life and work and see Sunday as the one day in the week where the whole family can get together.

“The Sunday Trading Act is a great British compromise, which has worked well for over 20 years and gives everyone a little bit of what they want. Retailers can trade, customers can shop, staff can work; whilst Sunday remains a special day, different to other days, and shopworkers can spend some time with their family.”

Notes for editors:

Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fourth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 440,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 17% in the last five years and by nearly a third in the last decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the Union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.

Report of the New West End Company survey:
http://www.theretailbulletin.com/news/new_study_londons_retail_staff_support_calls_for_extended_sunday_trading_hours_21-01-16/

For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion