SDA Secretary Peter Malinauskas rejects the recommendation to deregulate trading hours on public holidays in the Harper Review released today because it will disadvantage retail workers.
“Shops are only closed 10 days out of the year in suburban Adelaide and if this recommendation is adopted by the South Australian Parliament it would significantly jeopardise the ability for retail workers to take time off on public holidays.
“In South Australia we have the balance right – we have a growing retail sector that also allows for retail workers and small business operators to have a day off from time to time.
“Shoppers only have a certain amount of money to spend and just because the shops open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week does not mean there will be an increase in sales.
“It only means consumers will spend the same amount of money over a larger span of irregular hours,” said Peter.
There is no empirical evidence to demonstrate that deregulated trading hours on public holidays will result in an increase in sales or boost job creation in SA.
Peter says the Harper Review recommendation does not consider individual retail workers or small business operators who want to be able to take a day off every now and then.
“There is no reason to deregulate trading hours on public holidays as it provides no significant benefits to businesses or job seekers and it will only leave workers worse off,” he said.
A full copy of the Competition Policy Review undertaken by Professor Ian Harper is available here http://competitionpolicyreview.gov.au/files/2015/03/Competition-policy-review-report_online.pdf.
If you have a questions about public holiday trading hours, call the SDA on 8139 1000.