Local shopworkers are concerned about government plans to devolve Sunday trading hours to councils and the effects that will have on family life, local shops and the community (Report, 3 February). The change could lead to large shops opening for longer, even though they are already trading for up to 150 out of 168 hours a week, so shopworkers will have even less time to spend with their families. It won’t help small stores, which are already allowed to open whenever they like, and may put some of them out of business. This is a solution looking for a problem that doesn’t exist. It isn’t even clear who is actually calling for this change, with many retailers opposing it.
The Sunday Trading Act is a great British compromise, which has worked well for over 20 years and gives everyone a little bit of what they want. Retailers can trade, customers can shop, staff can work; while Sunday remains a special day and shopworkers can spend some time with their families.
John Hannett
General secretary, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw)
