Inspectors find 33 traders open on Good Friday

Labour Department inspectors hunting out shops illegally opening on Good Friday found several retailers trading yesterday.

The inspectors visited 40 businesses around the country yesterday, 33 of which were trading, a Labour Department spokeswoman said.

Several were open in defiance at a law which forbids all but essential trade. The maximum penalty is $1000.

"The inspectors visited 40 stores and found 33 retailers open, though whether they were all in breach of the law or not I'm not sure," the spokeswoman told NZPA.

"The inspectors will write reports on them and those will be considered by our legal department."

The spokeswoman said that last year the department made about 40 prosecutions for illegal Easter trading.

Inspectors will be back on the beat tomorrow as the same opening laws for Good Friday applies for Easter Sunday.

A combination of wet weather -- and a law change requiring staff to get time-and-a-half pay and a day off in lieu -- pruned some retailers' enthusiasm for Easter opening yesterday.

Michael Oh, at Palmers Garden World in Miramar, Wellington, said business was slow -- about half that of last year's Good Friday.

"I don't think it was worthwhile and now we've got to pay our staff more as well," he said, referring to the new Holidays Act requirements.

- NZPA