Shop doors flung open on Sundays

Press, 5 December 1989, Page 1

Shop doors flung open on Sundays

By

PETER LUKE

in Wellington

A flood of retailers seeking seven-day trading has prompted an abrupt end to New Zealand being closed on a Sunday. The Government announced yesterday that it will repeal the Shop Trading Hours Act, which tightly regulates Sunday, and extended hours, shopping. Pending next year’s law repeal, the Minister of Labour, Ms Clark, has ruled 29 categories of goods “approved” or exempt from the act’s tight control. This deregulation, which covers virtually every household or tourist item, except alcohol and cars, will start this Sunday and run through to Waitangi Day week-end. It means that consumers will have an extra three days for Christmas shopping, including Christmas Eve which falls on a Sunday. Both Ms Clark, and the Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, said the liberalisation would be good for the economy, by creating jobs and assisting tourist needs, and that it would be popular with shoppers. The suddenness of the move, which gives retailers just six days notice of their new right, appears prompted by a deluge of applica-

tions for preChristmas Sunday trading exemptions.

The Shop Trading Hours Commission normally hears about 120 applications a year. It now has about 650 applications before it, which even with the recent appointment of an assistant commissioner it could not process. The executive director of the Retail and Wholesale Merchants’ Association, Mr Barry Purdy, said it would have been inequitable if some traders were unable to compete on Sundays because of the commission’s backlog. 7

While the association was delighted with the announcement, Mr Purdy was quick to point out that the interim move would be no retail bonanza.

It should lead to “a very marginal increase” in trading. Individual retailers would have to decide whether it was worth opening regularly on Sunday because of penal wage rates.

The Distribution Workers’ Federation, which represents shop workers, expressed extreme disappointment at the Government’s intention to repeal the act.

It claimed the Government had capitulated to pressure from retailers who wanted pre-Christ-mas Sunday trading. The union’s secretary, Mr Paul Kimble, said only a minority of retailers believed that Sunday sales would boost flagging retail sales “in a permanently depressed economy.” Of particular concern was the Government’s rejection of a more limited deregulation proposal by the union, which would have allowed Sunday trading before Christmas and for special events.

The federation would also have allowed hardware stores to open seven days, but believed the tourist industry was adequately served by the present law.

Mr Kimble said the union proposal had retained the essential character of Sunday as a family and community day, while allowing trading under special circumstances.

The federation’s women’s committee said extra protections had to be in force to safeguard the rights of female employees. “Their experience of Saturday shopping had been an erosion of family time together. Sunday trading will see this disappear altogether.” Mr Kimble said any legislation must contain worker safeguards, such as the right of employees to first choice for

Sunday work, or late night work, and the right to turn down such work.

Ms Clark said further consultation would be held over worker protections, but mentioned both those specified by Mr Kimble. Yesterday’s announcement is likely to strengthen employer calls to revise Sunday penal rates.

Mr Purdy said the association and the federation had earlier agreed to set up a working party to look at penal rates.

Ms Clark said that this was a matter for employer and employee parties, and their awards. Last year an advisory committee, with employer and union members, told the Government that the act was riddled with anomalies, and was unfair and ineffectively enforced. It could not decide, however, what should be done.

The Labour Party’s annual conference this year debated the extended trading hours issue. Although it predictably rejected a remit calling for extended hours, the margin was surprisingly narrow.

Mr Palmer said yesterday that the present act failed the fundamental test for any law: “It does not accord with common sense.”

He said that there was no logic to the present distinction between what could and could not be bought on a Sunday. Ms Clark said, “The problem we are facing is the reality that trying to regulate restricted shopping hours in this day and age is just not in accord with where public opinion is at.”

The Government intends to introduce the repeal bill this month, which will enable a select committee to observe the interim liberalisation before deliberating on it.