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Government move to allow more Sunday opening |
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Sunday, 12 October 2008 |
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A growing majority of French people are in favour of Sunday trading. In December 59% said they would work on Sunday. A new survey shows the figure has grow to 67%.
Luc Chatel the Junior Minister for consumption told the Journal de Dimanche that the present rules were “an absurdity”. His boss the Minister of Labour Xavier Bertrand said the rules “must be changed”.
Monsieur Chatel said that “wherever Sunday opening has been introduced there has been more business activity.” He said “Sunday opening is employment and growth.” He continued “Our objective is to loosen the legislation whilst at the same time protecting the local commercial balance”. Monsieur Bertrand said that “we must allow people to work on Sunday but on a voluntary basis.” The Minister is proposing that decisions about whether or not opening should be allowed should be taken by agreement within the business sector concerned with employees receiving double pay. The trade unions CFTC and Force Ouvrière are opposed to the move. A spokesman for Force Ouvrière told French News that the change would put at risk thousands of jobs in small shops in the town centres. At the same time employees at the Grand cercle bookshop in Eragny–sur-Oise have taken legal action against the same trade union because it has acted in court to prevent the shop from opening on Sundays. They are asking the court to allow them to stay open.
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