Union welcomes Easter trading bill defeat

Photo / Bay Report

The National Distribution Union believes retail workers will be thrilled that Easter Sunday is remaining a public holiday.

Parliament has voted down another attempt to open shops at Easter. Rotorua MP Todd McClay's bill was lost by 59 votes to 62.

NDU vice-president Margaret Dornan, who is also a retail worker, says MPs have realised that families are more important than shops opening, and that community should come before commerce.

The union says shops are open 361 and a half days a year and most shopworkers could be required to work on any of those days. It says the vote protects the remaining three and a half days for retail workers to have off.

However, the Newmarket Business Association in Auckland claims Parliament has failed tourist towns when they need help the most.

Chief executive Cameron Brewer says Easter trading will continue to be a headache as Parliament refused to confront the raft of outdated laws, anomalies and historic exemptions.

This bill was not about blanket liberalisation of shop trading hours as most New Zealanders and retailers don't actually want shops open on Easter Sunday. Rather, this was about empowering local communities such as tourist towns like Rotorua to make up their own minds about opening.

Because this bill has failed, Rotorua will be closed next Easter Sunday yet Taupo can open. It's silly stuff."

Brewer says it is bizarre that since 2001 garden centres can open on Easter Sunday but hardware stores cannot.

"Parliament has had 19 years and 10 attempts to fix these issues but sadly the mess remains. This coming Easter Department of Labour officers will be fining Wanaka retailers but not Queenstown ones. It remains a complete circus."

- NEWSTALK ZB