Usdaw welcomes demise of Sunday trading plan

Shopworkers’ union Usdaw has welcomed the reported abandonment of government plans to deregulate Sunday trading (see Fact Service issue 23).

Having successfully pointed out the scheme’s flaws, the union is continuing to call for a joint recovery plan for the industry.

Its general secretary, Paddy Lillis, explained: “We appreciate the desire to help the sector, but the proposal to undo a long-held and workable compromise on Sunday trading was misguided and overwhelmingly rejected by shopworkers. We welcome reports that the government has rejected the proposal to make shopworkers work longer on Sundays.

“What the retail sector needs now is a tripartite approach of unions, employers and government sitting down talking about what a retail recovery plan will look like. We have long called for an industrial strategy for retail. The government needs to level the playing field on taxation between online and the high street, as well as enable councils to breathe new life into town centres and make them community hubs.”

https://www.usdaw.org.uk/About-Us/News/2020/Jun-(1)/Government-rethink-on-longer-Sunday-trading-welcom