Union welcomes plans to put extended Sunday trading hours on hold
Plans to shelve a pilot project to extend Sunday trading hours in Belfast have been welcomed.
The pilot scheme to allow large shops to open from 10am on Sundays had garnered strong reaction from those opposed to the extension of opening hours, citing them as a “distraction” from tackling the real issues impacting retail.
A decision to run the scheme was taken at a meeting of Belfast City Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee in April this year and was subsequently ratified at a full council meeting in early May.
However, at a recent meeting city councillors put the plans on hold as they sought further information. It was reported that councillors went onto vote against the proposal to move forward with the pilot, with Sinn Fein withdrawing its support for the pilot and ultimately three councillors voted in support with 15 against.
The move was welcomed by retail trade union, Usdaw which went onto call on the city council to engage in an industrial strategy for the retail sector that involves local and national government, retailers, workers and their trade union, along with all key stakeholders working together.
“We welcome that Belfast City Council has not pushed ahead with plans to extend Sunday trading hours,” said Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary.
“Opening shops on Sunday morning is a distraction from tackling the real issues that impact the retail sector and will have a detrimental impact on our members and many retail workers.
“We again call on the council to engage with trade unions and relevant stakeholders to come up with a plan to support retail in the city.”
He added that Usdaw members remain opposed to the extended Sunday trading hours.
“Longer Sunday trading will take a heavy toll on staff who will come under even more pressure to work, when they would rather be spending time with family and engaging in community, sports and leisure activities or attending church,” he said.
“Even supporters of extended Sunday opening hours have not been able to show it will lead to economic benefits or job creation. Put simply, opening shops for longer does not mean people have more money to spend.
“We all want to see a strong and diverse retail sector in Belfast and across Northern Ireland, and that means striking the right balance, which we had achieved through existing Sunday trading laws.”
