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USDAW
campaign leads to legislation: Larger UK stores will have to close for Christmas Sir Bill Connor, general secretary of British UNI Commerce affiliate Usdaw, is delighted over the plans to introduce laws that will ban larger stores from opening on Christmas Day. The changes will vindicate a three-year campaign waged by Usdaw on behalf of its 250,000 shopworker members. Usdaw, which is the biggest union in the British retail sector, has lobbied for legislation to close a loophole in trading regulations. Currently, large stores must stay shut only if Christmas Day is a Sunday. Usdaw's General Secretary Sir Bill Connor, responding to weekend news reports that legislation could be passed during the next session of Parliament, said: "Usdaw has long argued that shopworkers have the right to spend Christmas Day at home with their families. Earlier this year, we conducted a survey of 1,000 shopworkers which found that almost all of them supported a legal ban on Christmas Day trading. Significantly, 98 per cent feared that without protection, staff would be forced to work on December 25th. "We have campaigned long and hard for this change to the law. This is fantastic news for Usdaw members who work extremely hard and under great pressure in the run up to Christmas. Legislation is essential to prevent large stores opening and guarantee that shopworkers can spend Christmas Day with their families." Usdaw's 'Protect Christmas Day' campaign was launched three years ago, as worries escalated that some retailers were putting serious thought into opening some of their larger stores on December 25th. The legislation will ban stores with a floor space in excess of 280 square metres (approximately the size of a tennis court) from opening on Christmas Day. A Government survey of 102 retail companies found that 92 per cent intend to keep their stores closed on Christmas Day. However, 19 companies stated that remaining closed would depend on competitive pressures and/or change in demand.
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