NZ’s largest union opposes looser Easter trading laws

E tū’s national secretary, Rachel Mackintosh, said that loosening Easter trading laws would shift the balance away from workers and towards employers “who want to stay open no matter the cost”.

“Retail workers already face pressure to work long hours, weekends and public holidays,” she said. “It’s good to draw a line sometimes.”

Ms MacIntosh was responding to a call by Retail NZ for a revamp of what it labelled outdated trading rules preventing stores from opening on Easter Sunday. The E tū national secretary said that retail workers rely on Easter weekend for time off to spend with whānau or simply rest.

“While the weekend has religious importance for many, culturally it also represents the vestiges of our caring about something other than commerce,” she explained.

“That should be protected, not eroded. Not everything has to be for sale, every day of the year.”

Under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990, most stores have to shut their doors on Easter Sunday – along with Good Friday, Christmas Day and half of Anzac Day – with the exception of some tourist resorts and in areas where local councils have sought an exemption.

Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young said the inconsistency under the current rules created confusion and it was time the legislation changed.

“At the moment it’s in the hands of local authorities, so every council around New Zealand can make a decision about when stores can open or not open,” she said.

Ms Young said allowing shops to open on Easter Sunday meant businesses could capitalise on an influx of holidaymakers. She said it would likely be a fairly natural decision whether to trade or not. She said a change to the trading rules was “about flexibility and meeting the needs of people in 2025”.

However, she said any law change should still protect an employee’s right to refuse to work on Easter Sunday, which was provided for under the current act.

The national retail secretary of First Union, Rudd Hughes, agreed the current patchwork of local council exemptions only added to confusion and inconsistency. To simplify matters, he said Easter Sunday should instead be protected as a guaranteed day off.

FULL STORY

Should stores close on Easter Sunday? (Radio New Zealand)