[Greens-Media] Media release: Retail trading hours exploits retail employees

[John Kaye]

Retail trading hours exploits retail employees

Media release: 11 December 2014

Planning Minister Pru Goward's scheme for 24 hour shopping in six retail centres is a gift to the big chain stores but will leave many employees and small businesses struggling in the lead up to Christmas, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: "Planning Minister Pru Goward is sacrificing employees who have little bargaining power to help Westfield, Stockland, Coles, Myer and David Jones fatten up their profits.

"Retail workers will be under massive pressure to sacrifice time with their family and their own preparations for Christmas or face losing their jobs.

"The scheme will also compromise the safety of retail employees forced to work into the small hours of the morning when public transport is largely non-existent and car parks are deserted and dangerous.

"Shops are already open for long periods.

"This is about propping up a retail sector whose conservative and lazy management have failed to adjust to the onslaught of on-line shopping.

"Small businesses will yet again be driven out of the market in favour of their large corporate competitors.

"The Baird-Grant government talks big on small business and then delivers owner-operated shops a kick in the guts for Christmas.

"Lower turn-over businesses will not be able to sustain the longer hours while the bigger chain stores will be able to maintain customer through put into the night.

"Existing market shares for the small retailers will be eaten into by Pru Goward's 24 hour shopping spree.

"Encouraging yet more consumption at the expense of working people will have an environmental and social cost.

"The Planning minister is yet again taking the cudgel to the rights of retail employees.

"The next target will no doubt be Christmas, Boxing Day and Easter.

"It is hardly coincidental that the bad news for retail employees was delivered by Planning Minister Goward, rather than Treasurer Andrew Constance.

"The real game is open slather trading hours for their boardroom mates despite the parliament clearly rejecting Treasury's legislation to deliver it," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455


John Kaye

Greens NSW MP
P: (02) 9230 2668 | F: facebook.com/john.kaye.mlc<http://www.facebook.com/john.kaye.mlc> | T: @johnkgreens<twitter.com/johnkgreens> | W: www.johnkaye.org.au<http://www.johnkaye.org.au/>

John Kaye's office is proudly 100% unionised and union-active.

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