Belfast City Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee commissioned a report last month to look into a pilot Sunday trading hours scheme, which will be considered at a future meeting.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Usdaw is disappointed to read news that the issue of extended Sunday trading hours in Belfast is again being discussed by the City Council. This was reviewed in 2020, 2017 and numerous times before that. On all of those occasions, it was determined that such an extension is not the right move. In 2020, Usdaw fully committed to working with Belfast City Council and others to support and improve the retail experience at the weekend and for tourists. Repeatedly considering extending Sunday trading hours is a distraction from tackling the real issues that impact the retail sector.
“Our members remain opposed to extending Sunday trading hours. Allowing large stores to open for longer hours on Sundays would have a negative impact on retail workers, their families and our communities. Longer Sunday trading would take a heavy toll on staff who would 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.
“There would also be a detrimental impact on smaller retailers who can already open longer hours on Sundays. These traders rely on the boost in trade they get on Sunday morning, with St George's Market being a prime example. 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 the nation, but that means striking the right balance. We urge City Councillors to listen to the majority of shop workers and retailers who do not want extended Sunday trading.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Retail is the largest sector of employment in Northern Ireland with 131,200 staff, around 15% of all employment. Usdaw has members working in some of the biggest retailers in Northern Ireland, including Tesco, Sainsbury's/Argos, Co-op, Primark, Poundland and Asda.
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter/X @UsdawUnion