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Defeat of Easter Shop Trading Bill a victory for shop workers and their families

The union for retail workers is thrilled by tonight's defeat of a bill set to liberalise shop trading on Easter Sunday.

Laila Harré, National Secretary of the National Distribution Union (NDU), says the defeat is a victory for all those who saw the threat it posed to Easter activities.

"Tonight's vote was a recognition by Parliament of the challenge faced by low paid workers who organise their lives to suit the demands of employers in the 24/7 retail trading environment."

Shop workers are urging Members of Parliament to exercise their conscience votes in favour of family and community life and not commerce when they vote on a Bill aimed at opening shops on Easter Sunday tonight. The National Distribution Union, which represents shop workers, says thousands of people have already signed a petition being circulated by churches, unions and Members of Parliament opposed to Rotorua MP Steve Chadwick’s Bill. The bill, which hands power to councils to decide whether shops in the area should trade on Easter Sunday is also attracting council opposition.

The National Distribution Union says that the 84 to 37 defeat of Jacqui Dean's Bill which would have opened shops on Good Friday and Easter Sunday is a positive sign. "Parliament has rejected the immediate liberalisation of shop trading at Easter. It now needs to reject the slow burning Chadwick Bill which would hand the power to local councils to open shops in any area on Easter Sunday," says Laila Harré, NDU National Secretary.