Commerce European Union enlargement
Vienna
Dialogue unites European commerce trade unions:
Guard the
social dimension - no thanks to Sunday trading
UNI Commerce affiliates in different parts of Europe are signing up to a declaration calling for a ban on Sunday trading. The initiative comes from the so-called Vienna Dialogue, which brings together unions from Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and other countries. UNI Commerce affiliate GPA is the driving force behind this cooperation, which will be highlighted through joint activities in European border regions on First of May.
In a call for action, European trade unions for commercial workers stress the need for building broad coalitions to stop Sunday trading in Europe. At the UNI-Europa Commerce Conference in Stockholm in May 2003, Europe's commerce unions voted unanimously in support of a call to retain or introduce bans on Sunday retail work.
Sunday plays a special role
"Sunday
plays a special role in the cultural life and traditions of the
Europeans, the unions say in their Vienna statement. As a day of
rest, Sunday has defined the rhythms of life for time immemorial,
enabling people to maintain contacts and providing opportunities for
cultural and social encounters," the declaration states.
Vaci Utca, Budapest, Hungary
"From
the standpoint of the unions, the day of rest on Sundays is a
significant achievement of our society and culture that we must
preserve and defend. Work on Sundays is acceptable only if its
purpose is to protect the lives, health or safety of the public or
to meet important social and cultural needs. The people who do this
work must be compensated by giving them time off en bloc and
ensuring that they can participate fully in society. The fundamental
right to practice religion freely on this day must also be
safeguarded, since Sunday has special ethical and religious
significance for many people in Europe."
"The constant attacks against Sunday as a day of rest in the retail sector are the consequence of senseless, mutually destructive competition, primarily among multinational retail groups. It is not the interests and needs of consumers that are at stake here, and definitely not those of retail employees. This is a battle for market share and market power. This power struggle is not only destroying European retail structures and local access to shopping; it is also increasingly at odds with the traditions and identities of the individual member states and their laws. There is no vital social need for shops to open on Sundays", the unions say.
Commercial workers want free Sundays
"Claims
that the majority of retail employees are more than willing to
accept Sunday work in exchange for extra pay do not match reality.
The truth is that in some member states, people work on Sundays so
that they and their families can survive in the face of low pay and
a high cost of living. It is not true that money can make up for the
benefits of time spent resting with the family or the restorative
effects on workers’ minds and bodies."
"In
view of the social importance of a day of rest on Sundays and the
problems faced by retail employees, the unions and their members,
irrespective of national boundaries, support a strict limitation of
Sunday work to the amount that is essential to meet basic social and
economic needs. The unions believe that the day of rest
deliberately arranged by society defines a fundamental standard of
social and economic prosperity, and as such it always remains
up-to-date and relevant as a humane force for shaping society. In
this way, the day of rest on Sundays is an essential expression of
temporal prosperity in a united, social Europe before the background
of an increasingly wealthy society, and is therefore indispensable."
In
addition to economic gains, the people in the accession countries
expect the expansion of the European Union to improve their personal
living and working situations while maintaining respect and
appreciation for their traditions and identity. This also includes
respect for the day of rest on Sundays. At the same time, people in
the member states – above all in border regions – are worried
about negative influences resulting from different opening hours and
labour regulations.
Take people seriously
"If
European unification is to succeed, then people’s hopes,
expectations and fears must be taken seriously. Employees –
including retail employees – must have the feeling that their
concerns and needs for protection, including the basic human right
for time away from work, are taken just as seriously as those of
major corporations and capital; otherwise we will not achieve the
level of support required to guarantee the ongoing development of
this project for peace."
In
their statement, the commerce trade unions call on European and
national institutions and associations to join them in a campaign to
preserve and respect the day of rest on Sundays:
"They
hope that alongside the unions, civil organisations and associations
will recognise the interests of their members and show active
solidarity for Sunday as a day without work.
They
are asking churches to continue raising their voices publicly in
favour of restrictions to Sunday work as opposed to the pure profit
motive.
They
expect employers and their organizations to respect the basic right
of their employees to have time off work and take the statutory days
of rest, and to support the initiative to limit work on Sundays to
the amount that is essential to meet basic social and economic
needs.
They
are calling on organisations and policymakers at the national level
to use all available means in support of the most comprehensive
possible implementation of the right of all citizens to leisure
time, and to pass laws to secure the principle of a day of rest on
Sundays.
They are appealing to the institutions and leading personalities of the European Union and demanding that they give the issue of rest on Sundays the emphasis it deserves and develop a joint position, taking into account the social dimension and cultural identities for the protection of people in Europe."
"A united, free and democratic Europe needs more than economic and currency union to continue developing peacefully. It must also present credible prospects for social equilibrium and a balancing of interests between employers and employees. The social dimension of Europe cannot remain a mere slogan. It must be imbued with life for the benefit of all citizens and the overall political development of our continent!"