easter trading

In his post on Easter trading hours, DPF suggested removing all trading hours upon retailers, above and beyond two private member's bills to allow Easter Trading for tourist towns- one from Labour's Steve Chadwick the other from National's Jacqui Dean. The law, as it currently stands, allows only essential services and garden centres to open on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and essential services only on Anzac Day and Christmas Day.

Nobody cares about not bing able to trade Christmas Day, nobody would turn up to buy anything. On Anzac Day shoppers simply delay their dollars to later in the afternoon, besides it's the only one of these holidays that has firm roots in NZ - allowing trading is a risky move politically.

But everyone is on holiday over Easter. It's generally fair weather, and people are off work for 4 days desperate to do things. Retailers want to cash in - and fair enough. The only problem is that Easter Sunday isn't a public holiday. Nobody's entitled to time-and-a-half. No day in lieu if you work on Easter Sunday. Employers - some garden centres are an example - may choose to give these benefits.

The options for the government are:
- The status quo
- Allow trade on Easter Sunday, making it like an ordinary Sunday. This would upset a lot of Retail workers, missing a day off.
- Allow trade on Easter Sunday and make it a public holiday.

The problem with the latter options is that it adds a public holiday that most worker's won't get. It could be a public holiday for all, with it transferring to Tuesday if you don't work on Sunday - but most employers wont be keen on that.

Whatever the outcome - the nobody-works-on-Sunday hangover we have in our legislation is outdated and needs to reflect the real world. It also needs to reward workers with time off for working over 4 day weekend - meaning time and a half and a day in lieu for Easter Sunday.

(Updated: 15 Oct 06(!). Links to DPF and Shop Trading Hours Act corrected)