Should Sunday trading restrictions be lifted?

custardy

oldgit74 wrote: »

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.

so whats your point?
you hate your job,so they should be open less?

fattybumble85

oldgit74 wrote: »

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.

Not quite sure what you mean with this. If you don't want to work all hours then change job. I worked in a coffee shop years ago and started at 6:30 meaning I actually had to get up at 5am. That was the job. I didn't complain about the selfishness of people wanting coffee at 7am. You get on with it.

If shops do have extended opening hours retail workers are not suddenly going to start putting in 50hr weeks. More likely that additional part time staff would be hired which is a bonus.

wizzardmr42

One big response to lots of people...

MattLFC wrote: »

I would rather go shopping on Sunday; many people I know choose to go shopping on Sunday rather than Saturday, because it tends to be quieter. Forcing everyone to shop only on Saturday, is ridiculous, and the law being in place because of Christian faith, leads to resentment from those who do not agree with such a rule being enshrined in law on the basis of one man's faith.

I should point out that I'm not even able to shop on Saturdays, being Jewish, so I am in total agreement!

ashleyriot wrote: »

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?

Actually I disagree. If you have to choose a day arbitrarily then it makes sense to choose one which is held by the majority of the country to be a religious holiday anyway. I'm saying that even though I'm Jewish! (We're only about 0.5% of the population in this country so it wouldn't make sense to use Saturday)

deptfreemoneytart wrote: »

So, in conclusion, and to stop me waffling. STOP all trading on a Sunday and this includes pubs.
Make Sunday a FAMILY DAY. Only a religious day for those who need it, but don't force it on the kids.

That's not very fair on those of us who can't shop/trade on a Saturday for religious reasons!

teddyco wrote: »

First of all, the concept of a 'Christian country' doesn't exist.

I don't believe I mentioned one!

teddyco wrote: »

By the way, the only time that 'vestments' or holy garments are used in the bible is in conjunction with the priests of Moloch who called the Canaanites to throw their children into the fires as sacrifices to Moloch.

Not sure what the point in this was, but I have to argue. What about the descriptions of the garments of the temple priests (think they are in Leviticus)?

3010

Candoguy wrote: »

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.

There are laws to protect religious people from having to work.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10028516

frmarcus

Questions inaccurately framed: You can be a practicing Christian and believe that Sunday trading is undesirable for fellow-Christians but not for others, whom you do not seek to restrain by you Faith-persepctive. I'm a Christian - and I believe that Sunday trading isn't desirable for anyone, simply 'cos a break in an otherwise manic week must be desirable for all, regardless of faith. However, my view may be dictated by my Faith, and I have no wish to restrain others with a contrary view in virtue of that, because I can simply refrian from shopping on Sundays...

Webbozen

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.
I was working a 5 day shift pattern and was forced into 7 day working by a change of contract being work 7 days or no job. This is being done all the time now.

OK rant over and these are my views.

Zyyb

Woooo, this debate gets me riled up! Quite a few good opinions, I would say that the open all hours argument appears to be winning, if you ever can truly win!

One point I'd like to raise is to those who have said that they're not religious, but believe we should have a day off to unwind from a manic week or to let the children play (and to learn to cook again, I think was mentioned, lol)

Wouldnt you say that point is pretty personal? Does everyone have a manic week? Do we all need to do DIY on a Sunday?
I have been studying advanced taxation today in my accountancy course (day release from work) I came home, (cooked a meal) and then decided to relax for a few hours. Possibly postponing my homework requirements till Saturday......or Sunday!

If you like to take Sundays off to unwind then good for you, but don't you agree the government should not regulate that you do so?
If I decide to have an impromptu BBQ and maybe buy a DVD for a Sunday night, should I really be unable to buy the ingredients? Perhaps I should have planned more and bought some ribs/burgers in case the mood for a BBQ should strike me. Perhaps I should just go for a walk instead, it is free after all.

I would argue that most stores do not save a massive amount of electric by closing for 12 hours over a Sunday night, sainsburys as far as I'm aware does not turn all it's freezers off. If hours were allowed to extend, shops would probably increase hours gradually, as market forces dictate. If no-ne turns up past 6pm on a Sunday, they may decide thats when they will close. However, choice is the key, don't regulate an arbitrary 'Day off' based on religious beliefs (providing existing laws continue to protect those who require it)

tbonetalk

BigStevie1973 wrote: »

Why does religion dictate when shops can or cannot open? I appreciate that many people need to take time off but if a business wishes to trade 24 hours a day, seven days a week, then it should be allowed to so long as they adhere to employment laws regarding breaks, holidays, etc. To restrict Sunday trading on the grounds that it is the Christian holy day is in my view religious discrimination against non-christians and atheists. I think it's time that all restrictions were lifted on all trades (including bars for that matter) and then perhaps we might get ourselves out of this economic mess we're in. Give people the choice to decide for themselves and stop forcing them to accept the views of others!!

So I guess you want to be forced to work over Christmas then? Reduced Sunday trading and holidays (root - Holy Days BTW) all come from our Christian heritage, as do many of the laws and principles that make this country a safe place to live. Continually eroding this heritage will leave a vacuum and nature abhores a vacuum so who knows what will end up setting our nation's values... Anyone fancy a Dictatorship..?

dom_london

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?

DJFearRoss

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.

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.