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> Our Publications > New Zealand Outlook > 2002 > May
Shops lose fight
to open Easter PARLIAMENT has
reaffirmed the importance of Good Friday, Easter Sunday
and Christmas Day by voting against allowing shops to
open on those days.
Act New Zealand MP Rodney Hide's Shop Trading Hours
(Abolition of Restrictions) Bill had sought to allow
shops to open on all days of the year except the morning
of Anzac Day (April 25).
However, three amendments put up by Labour MP Graham
Kelly received overwhelming support in a free vote, which
allows MPs to vote according to their conscience rather
than along party lines.
MPs voted 100-18 against opening on Christmas Day, 97-22
on Good Friday and 70-47 on Easter Sunday.
It had been thought opening on Easter Sunday might be
supported to bring all shops into line with garden shops
but that did not happen. Garden shops will still be
allowed to open on that day.
Mr Kelly said the votes were a victory for working
people, their families and shopkeepers.
"The basis on which I did this was mainly about the
quality of life of people who work in shops and their
families, and that included both the workers and shop
owners," he said.
Mr Kelly was the New Zealand Shop Employees Union
secretary for 15 years and said he had seen much
liberalisation during that time. The workforce became
"more casualised" each time shop trading hours
were extended, when Saturday trading was introduced, the
workforce went from 30 per cent part-time to 70 per cent
part-time, he said.
"So the career structure suffers, the wages and
conditions suffer and you can't support a family on a
part-time wage," he said.
Mr Kelly had become more confident his amendments would
be supported in recent months as it became obvious the
public, including retailers, did not support the Bill, he
said.
Mr Hide said he was disappointed the amendments had been
successful and believed unions were behind it.
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