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Recently
I listened, on Radio 4, to a discussion and phone-in about proposed
extensions to the existing 6-hour rule for shop opening on Sundays.
Spokesmen
for the large supermarkets and trading outlets are pressing for longer
opening hours, despite large profits and monopoly situations causing
many town centres to become bereft of local shops, due to trading
pressures. Surely Tesco's £2 billion profit last year is sufficient for
any retail outlet!
Phone-in
replies against any extensions came from many singly-run shops and
specialist shops who felt they needed time for rest, leisure and family
time together, rather than try to compete. Employing extra staff would
be prohibitive in cost.
Others
against the extension were the shop workers' union, who were against the
initial 6-hour rule. They backed the shop workers' claim that the
initial promise of double-time pay for working Sundays has been mainly
phased out, and in many cases now often stands as normal working time
pay.
Many
others against the Sunday extension of working hours were the shop
workers themselves, who did not want to work, but were often bullied
into it.
Unhappily,
no Christian view-point was raised about Sunday worship and a day of
rest. The exception was a Jewish lady who said she had to shop before
Saturday, that being the Jewish Sabbath, but she was against opening
hours on Sunday because it was the Christian Sabbath day of worship and
rest!!
God
bless,
Steve
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