STUC urge MSPs to support Christmas Day and New Year’s Day shop closures

STUC General Secretary Grahame Smith has written to MSPs to seek support for the Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Trading (Scotland) Bill proposed by Karen Whitfield MSP which will be debated in Parliament today (Wednesday 6 March). The Bill calls for all large stores in Scotland in excess of 3,000 square feet to be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Recent trends indicate that, increasingly, stores are opening on New Year’s Day

Grahame Smith said “Retail is one of the largest sectors of the Scottish workforce with over 250,000 people employed. A significant proportion of these staff and their families would be adversely affected by pressure to work during the holiday period. If New Year’s Day and Christmas Day were to develop into normal trading days in Scotland, subsequently more people will have to work – including cleaners, security staff, police, health workers, and public transport workers where there will be pressure for a full service.

“I believe this is an important piece of legislation designed to ensure a sensible balance between spending time at work, during an already busy period, and spending time with family at a special time of year. I urge MSPs to lend support to the Bill today”

ENDS

For further information contact John Park 0141 337 8100