Should Sunday trading restrictions be lifted?

DJFearRoss

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaybreakGirl
I am sick to death of this, Sunday Trading should be stopped everywhere, including the garages and small corner shops. There is plenty of time to go shopping Monday to Saturday. Family time should be Sunday and this forcing of people to have to work Sundays should stop it is unacceptable. I am not religious so it is not down to that.
Let's try it this way...

"I am sick to death of this, Wednesday Trading should be stopped everywhere, including the garages and small corner shops. There is plenty of time to go shopping Thursday to Tuesday. Family time should be Wednesday and this forcing of people to have to work Wednesdays should stop it is unacceptable. I am not religious so it is not down to that."

Why hold Sunday on a pedestal?

And here in is the problem, there are so many people that are so obsessed with "Sunday and Christianity" that they fail to see the whole point behind having a family-day off and they probably voted accordingly.

I mean think about it logically, who in their right mind wouldn't want a day off to spend with friends and family at least once a week!

custardy

DJFearRoss wrote: »

Yes but seriously, if you apply for a job and you say you will not work on a Sunday, you won't get it. They won't say it to your face but... There needs to be time when families can come together, anyone who says otherwise is because they're family is possibly already broken so it doesn't seem necessary.

Businesses compete, if one opens they all have to open. Then there are the other businesses which require to be serviced by other companies and so on.

At the moment, many don't have to work on Sunday but slowly but surely they will. Even friends and family who work in offices now have the odd Sunday call up, then there are those who have so much work they go into the office of Sunday. Exploitation.

Just because you don't have to work on Sunday, you popping out to buy your tin of bake beans means there is a whole team of people who have to provide that service on a Sunday.

As someone who lived in Spain for many years, I can tell you, this system works.

lol,so my family is broken by working Sundays?

martlet2

dominiquegalland wrote: »

This not about personal preference, but society values.
Sadly we're living in a society with skewed consumerism values inherited from the past-war years of "I want it all, and I want it now, because it is my right regardless of how damaging it is for the community or for the environment". This is the reason why most people would prefer to drive their bums in their pollution machines (aka cars) to the furthest overcrowded neon-lit shopping center to buy the latest plastic gizmo that will end up in a landfill 2 weeks later, rather than read a good book or take a stroll down the park with their kids.
This has been going on for roughly 3 generations now, but we're starting to see green shoots of more sensible values making their way back. Give us another 2 generations, and hopefully the world will become the sensible place it once was, and nobody will moan any longer about Sunday shopping, or the lack thereof.
Why Sunday? We've got Sunday rest going back 2,000 years now, can't we just keep it for traditional reasons?

Very Well Said!:T

Zanandu

I am old fashioned regarding sunday trading. I have very fond memories as a kid of going to church with my parents first thing on a sunday morning. We would come home, have dinner. We would clear up the dinner things and then mum, dad and I would go and visit aunts and uncles. It was the one day in the week that my dad was home all day and we just used to love being together...

Times have changed so much over the years. As a nurse I work one in four weekends.(I am lucky that I don't work more). My son works 10 till 5pm every single sunday apart from when he is on annual leave. On mothers day, my gift was just having the four of us home all together.

If I had my choice I would love to go back to those traditions I grew up in. Unfortuantly those days have long gone. We live in am enviroment that has changed so much. Shops used to open at 9am and close at 5pm. Wednesdays used to close half day. Banks were open 9.30 till 3.30pm Mondays to Fridays. Never was a bank open on a saturday. We did have more time for ourselves and our families back then. But we have moved on so much from those days......

I choose not to shop on a sunday. I choose to have a peaceful day walking my dog, being with the family members that are home when I am not working. Those that want to shop if thats what they want to do, or maybe its the only time they get to do their shopping then so be it. I prefer to keep sundays special and its my choice.

Bellou

I am now a practising christain, but I held this view even before I became so; there should be one day a week, that the majority of people (who do not work for the emergency services) should have off to rest and spend time together within families and communities.
Obviously, people have now got used to the 24/7 culture, but I wonder whether it is really healthy for both individuals and families, to never have a guaranteed day to rest?
With two daughters who were obliged to take up work in a restaurant chain, I found it almost impossible to arrange any kind of family get-together. They were even forced to work on Christmas Day, and most sundays. This was against their wishes, and not made clear to them when they were employed!
They were also compensated, to begin with, with higher rates of pay for working these shifts. However, after a while their rates of pay were cut, and they were still expected to work these days, or lose their positions.This has definitely affected the quality of our family life!

Bellou

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Religion is what the discussion is about. Sunday Trading rules originate from protecting the Christian sabbath - the two are linked.

The poll indicates very effectively that views are different whether you are a member of a faith or not.

My personal view is that Sunday trading should be the same, but we should have protected employment rights for those practising members of faiths that they should not be disenfrachised or suffer any work or promotion deterioration from not working on their holy days.

In theory having protected employment rights, should protect practising members of faiths, should they not feel able to work on their holy days...however, in this time of high unemployment, I know that should you state that you are not able to work on certain days, the chances are very high that you will be passed over for someone without out these restrictions.

PDWright

lkate wrote: »

I'm not religious in any way. But I work in retail, and I'm not sure if any of you have noticed or not, but we have lives too and we're not just robots there to serve you! I read a comment on the BBC where someone was saying how they had to organise their day because there is sports on a Sunday and they need to go to the shop..... Can't you go on a Saturday, or a Monday or if it's so important go first thing in the morning?
Sales assistants already work unsociable hours as it is. Our shop is open until 8pm weekdays, 6pm Saturday, 5pm Sunday. We're open on bank holidays too. I'm lucky to say we're not open on Boxing day but we have to stay in the shop until 6pm on Christmas eve. And for a pitiful wage too!
I think it's fair to say there are enough shopping hours during the week (24hours some of them). I'd like to keep what I have left of my weekend thanks.....

I'm a doctor. I have a life too. I'm not just a robot designed to serve you. I work unsociable hours. My hospital is open bank holidays. We work Boxing Day AND Christmas Day.
Why does working in retail entitle you to a special Sunday-privilege? Emergency services, medical staff, workers at leisure facilities, restaurants, bars, etc all have to work Sundays and unsociable hours.
I agree people should be permitted time off for religious reasons. But other than that, why should Sunday be any different to other days? Families of those not employed in retail have to adapt to shift patterns, and they get on just fine.
Businesses should be allowed to open whenever they want. It's up to them to find staff willing and/or provide incentives to work unsociable hours.

PDWright

purplenicnak wrote: »

Go for a walk along the canal or to the park or visit friends there are things in the country that DO NOT COST MONEY! maybe people should realise that you don't have to spend money to enjoy yourself or have quality time with people. You have not read my original post clearly where I mention visiting family or going to the park

And so if you do work in retail, say Mon - Sat with Sun your only day off, when exactly are you supposed to do the leisure things that cost money? When can you take the kids to the theme park? When can you go for a family lunch at a restaurant? If nobody works Sundays then, frankly, lives will be a lot duller.

Webbozen wrote: »

For me, and others like me, as a truck driver we are forced to work on a Sunday and that in many cases means Saturday night. This is to deliver stock to shops and supermarkets for selling on the Sunday. If there was no sunday trading then as some have already mentioned you can have a family day. This goes for all workers in shops and supermarkets.
Why do we have to have sunday trading? Is it because people are like sheep and cannot last a day without shopping and can only buy food one day at a time. Are there not enough shopping hours during the six days? I am old enough to remember no 7 day trading or 24 hour supermarkets.
Another thing about 7 day trading it costs more to heat and light an open shop as opposed to 6 days and all night. This would mean less cost to the retailer and lower prices for the customer.
We have internet shopping so why do we need 24 hour shopping?
I consider that 7 day trading is one of the main causes of family break ups and damage to our children by one or both parents working all the time and not being together even for one day.
Don't get me wrong there are certain areas where 7 day working is necassary, power stations, pubs,restaurants and hotels to name a few and anyone who works in those industries know what they are getting into as regards 7 day working.

Yes, 6-day trading would give retail workers a break, but what about everyone else. Why are they entitled to more "family time" than others?
If there's a demand for Sunday shopping why should that be denied in place of forced "family time", which is what you seem to be proposing. What's wrong with allowing businesses the opportunity to open whenever they want? People will not be forced to work the extra hours in addition to their contract, as someone else said, new workers will be hired. Some people may want Sunday work: uni students, part-time workers etc.
In respect to the family breakups comment: Me and my partner are both hospital doctors, working shifts as part of a 24/7 A+E department. We still get plenty of time together, and plenty of time with the children. Yes, I knew what I was getting into, so are you saying anyone who wants an unbroken family should avoid careers where they work Sundays?

MattLFC

PDWright wrote: »

And so if you do work in retail, say Mon - Sat with Sun your only day off, when exactly are you supposed to do the leisure things that cost money? When can you take the kids to the theme park? When can you go for a family lunch at a restaurant? If nobody works Sundays then, frankly, lives will be a lot duller.

Yes, 6-day trading would give retail workers a break, but what about everyone else. Why are they entitled to more "family time" than others?
If there's a demand for Sunday shopping why should that be denied in place of forced "family time", which is what you seem to be proposing. What's wrong with allowing businesses the opportunity to open whenever they want? People will not be forced to work the extra hours in addition to their contract, as someone else said, new workers will be hired. Some people may want Sunday work: uni students, part-time workers etc.
In respect to the family breakups comment: Me and my partner are both hospital doctors, working shifts as part of a 24/7 A+E department. We still get plenty of time together, and plenty of time with the children. Yes, I knew what I was getting into, so are you saying anyone who wants an unbroken family should avoid careers where they work Sundays?

Amen to that :T

custardy

teddyco wrote: »

Zanandu wrote: »

I am old fashioned regarding sunday trading. I have very fond memories as a kid of going to church with my parents first thing on a sunday morning. We would come home, have dinner. We would clear up the dinner things and then mum, dad and I would go and visit aunts and uncles. It was the one day in the week that my dad was home all day and we just used to love being together...

Zanandu,

I enjoyed reading your post and also share your appreciation for a life where people revere the things that matter in life.

I also remember growing up as a child, attending church every Sunday and then having Sunday dinner and visiting my Nan, playing with her dog, playing with my brother and sister outside.

Honestly, I don't think the problem with life today is related in any way to the hours that stores are open. I think the problem we have in this country is that people are chasing after all the wrong things; i.e. always upgrading houses, expensive yearly vacations, three cars in the drive, 40 inch telly, top of the line clothes and gadgets.

Today I was visiting the Vauxhaul dealership to help my father-in-law purchase a used car, and I couldn't believe the cost of a new car. Some of the models were £25,000 and I was stunned!

I see folks in my neighbourhood with two and three cars in their driveway and cannot understand how they afford the petrol, car tax, insurance let alone cost of purchase? And then listen to everyone moan, moan, moan...no wonder they are moaning, they spent all their money on all the junk they choose to surround their lives with, and this junk is not making anyone happy, only unhappy.

When I was growing up, we never took a yearly vacation, we stayed home and did things the cheap route. Maybe Disneyworld in Florida once every 5 years if we were lucky, but we were truly a happy family. Some of my best memories included camping for a week and having family fun on a tight budget.

I think what is ruining this country is the love of money instead of loving God, and family values have gone right out with it. As a consequence of everyone having three cars per family, our roads are overwhelmed and people complain about congestion which requires higher taxes to pay for the roads which require more folks working longer hours to pay....etc....hence a constant downward spiralling treadmill.

How do we get back on the right track and start extolling family values and loving God instead of material things and money?

PRAY!

Im glad there an 'and' in there