Easter Sunday surcharges not legit

Trading restrictions apply to businesses on Easter Sunday but shoppers and cafe-goers are being warned not to fork out for any surcharges tomorrow.

Good Friday and Easter Sunday are off limits to traders, with a few exceptions, including shops providing food ready to eat.

However, Easter Sunday is not an official public holiday and Cameron Brewer, chief executive of Auckland's Newmarket Business Association, said cafe-goers should not put up with any surcharges tomorrow.

"People get confused because of the major retail restrictions in place on Easter Sunday and because it's part of a public holiday weekend.

"The reality is the likes of cafe owners are not paying their staff time and a half and a day in lieu, so there's no need for them to pass on any extra costs on Easter Sunday."

Surcharges applied on Good Friday and Easter Monday because they were public holidays and cafe staff were paid more under the 2003 Holidays Act to work on those days, Mr Brewer said.

"We're keen to remind people that surcharges don't apply on Easter Sunday, so you shouldn't have to put up with any."

Mr Brewer said there would be more confusion with Anzac day, April 25, falling on a Sunday.

While it is never "Monday-ised" Anzac Day is still a public holiday.

Mr Brewer said many cafes would legitimately charge surcharges on Anzac Day. The entire day was a public holiday, despite retail restrictions being lifted from 1pm.

"There will be confusion on these two April Sundays, simply because Easter Sunday feels a like a public holiday while this year's Anzac Day won't. The short of it is, you shouldn't be surcharged on Easter Sunday, but you could be on Anzac Day."

Department of Labour communications advisor Colin Paterson said there were no rules governing what businesses could charge customers tomorrow, but customers were free to take their business elsewhere if they did not like what they were paying.

Good Friday and Easter Monday were public holidays but shop trading rules applied to Easter Sunday, which was not a public holiday, he said.

The days were covered by two different pieces of legislation, the Holidays Act 2003 and the Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act 1990.

"There's been no move to make them consistent in this respect."

- NZPA