Should Sunday trading restrictions be lifted?

custardy

scrimperdave wrote: »

At the time I voted (about an hour ago) the total number of votes was 10679.

4757 votes to Allow the extension of hours - 45% of the vote.
4196 votes to retain existing hours - 39% of the vote.
1726 votes to prohibit Sunday trading - 16% of the vote.

If these figures are found to be representative of the nation's view, the hours should not be extended (outside the Olympic shop-fest which is already a done deal).

But I bet that under the current government, the wishes of the electorate are ignored (again - see NHS reform) and big business gets its way. Bang goes the limited peace and quiet for people living on main roads and around shopping centres.

Dave

however its a tiny sample of the forum members
let alone country

also,if you live by a main road or shopping centre. well thats kinda with the territory.

purplenicnak

I'm not religious and work in retail, I work between the hours of 6am-10pm Monday to Saturday and 8am-6pm on Sundays...Sunday is the only day we know we can get home and do something after work with family/friends.

Sundays we trade between 10am-4pm, what some of you fail to realise is that we don't just appear at 10am and vanish off home at 4pm we have to put the delivery out, we have to tidy up after you, cash the tills off and get stuff ready for the start of the next working week.

Can we not be allowed one day a week where we know we finish at a half decent time? I love my job I love working in retail but sometimes the customer(s) fails to remember we have a life too!

You might get your weekend on a Saturday/Sunday but for me it might be a Monday and Friday or a Tuesday and Wednesday, and I prefer it that way but a weekend is for relaxing, going the park with your kids or visiting your nan. Why do you have to make it all about shopping? My supermarket is on a council owned retail park with a two hour parking restircting between 8:30-5:30 yet after half 5 we go quiet till we close at 8pm, so how about doing your shopping after work when its free to park instead of a saturday/sunday when you STILL have to pay!?! and that theme is similar in the other shops of my company that DON'T charge for parking

gigibelle23

I am not religious but I think it is important to have one day a week which is not about consumerism and allows people to focus on other things in life such as family or getting outside. I've travelled quite a bit and it is so refreshing to be in countries like Germany where there are no shops open on a Sunday so you have to make your own entertainment, whether that's going to the park or museums or the cinema is up to you. Yes, it's annoying at first to run out of something on a Sunday but you soon get used to planning in advance and I genuinely believe that such nations are happier and healthier as a result.

custardy

purplenicnak wrote: »

I'm not religious and work in retail, I work between the hours of 6am-10pm Monday to Saturday and 8am-6pm on Sundays...Sunday is the only day we know we can get home and do something after work with family/friends.

Sundays we trade between 10am-4pm, what some of you fail to realise is that we don't just appear at 10am and vanish off home at 4pm we have to put the delivery out, we have to tidy up after you, cash the tills off and get stuff ready for the start of the next working week.

Can we not be allowed one day a week where we know we finish at a half decent time? I love my job I love working in retail but sometimes the customer(s) fails to remember we have a life too!

You might get your weekend on a Saturday/Sunday but for me it might be a Monday and Friday or a Tuesday and Wednesday, and I prefer it that way but a weekend is for relaxing, going the park with your kids or visiting your nan. Why do you have to make it all about shopping? My supermarket is on a council owned retail park with a two hour parking restircting between 8:30-5:30 yet after half 5 we go quiet till we close at 8pm, so how about doing your shopping after work when its free to park instead of a saturday/sunday when you STILL have to pay!?! and that theme is similar in the other shops of my company that DON'T charge for parking

well what about those places you go while you are doing things?
shall we shut them on a Sunday too?
after work? I didnt know everyone as finished by then

ripope

Forget this stupidity surrounding Sunday shopping.
Lets get offices and government departments open 7 days a week.
That could be progress

purplenicnak

custardy wrote: »

well what about those places you go while you are doing things?
shall we shut them on a Sunday too?
after work? I didnt know everyone as finished by then

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

davestretty

Personally I think we should have to work Sundays and take the rest of the week off!! :j
Perhaps I should be a vicar - only joking of course

Candoguy

DaybreakGirl wrote: »

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.

I agree with you. I'm not religious, however, the attempts now being made to encourage everyone to treat Sunday as any other day are wrong.

For those who don't work the office 9 to 5 and can be subject to relentless demands from employers to have no choice when they can take their days off this would not be good news.

It's usually workers who only have to work Monday to Friday, in addition to who often take strike action, that want the shops to be open every day.

Sunday ought to be kept special for the psychological well-being of all. Most European countries do not have Sunday opening.

Candoguy

wildthing01 wrote: »

I must say, I do feel a little resentful that the available shopping hours on a Sunday are restricted, purely because of the religious beliefs of a percentage of the population.

Practising Christians who don't want to work or shop on a Sunday have the freedom to make that choice, whether the Sunday trading laws exist or not. However, people who do want to work/shop on a Sunday currently have that choice restricted, which I think is unfair. I don't see who benefits from the restrictions.

ps - there isn't necessarily 'plenty of time' to shop Monday to Saturday. Many people work full-time, and shopping on a Saturday is a hideous nightmare, because of all the people who can't do it during the week, or on a Sunday because of the trading laws. I can get plenty of 'quality time' with my family in the evenings, and on a Saturday. In fact I'd much prefer to have the quality time on a Saturday, and then use Sunday to get my shopping/errands done.

You feel a little resentful? How about we all feel a little resentful that we can't do anything and everything 24 hours a day? Banking for example.

There are no laws to protect religious people as far as I know from not having to work on a particular day. It's work or be fired.

Sunday will also become a hideous nightmare just like new roads that a build become busier with more traffic.

oldgit74

I had to work all my working life in a retail shop, and believe me, and all the other poor devils who had no choice. if you want shops open all hours, YOU try it first mate, would change YOUR attitude forever.