It has always depended on what kind of a service is being offered.

Now it has become more complicated because, in 2016, the then-National government passed the responsibility of Easter trading hours to councils.

To date, 39 of the 67 councils have created bylaws allowing about 9500 retailers to open if they want.

However, this is still only a fraction of shops around the country, with Wellington, Auckland and other major centres opting against it.

Joseph Parker's fight with Anthony Joshua is on Easter Sunday.

His promoters say antiquated Easter trading laws are dealing knockout blows to Kiwis looking to enjoy the fight.

Venues wanting to show the fight need to apply for a licence for a fundraising, quiz or event hosting a speaker so as to be granted dispensation.

Ed Sheeran's Dunedin performances all clash with Good Friday or Easter Sunday in some way.

This had those in the hospitality sector nervous that they would have to close their doors.

However, earlier this year authorities gave the green light for bars to cater for the more than 100,000 fans going to the concerts, and still comply with the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act.

The Dunedin City Council has also permitted shop trading at Easter. A full council meeting voted 10-5 in favour of the policy and said it will review it after 90 days.

While the likes of supermarkets and hardware stores supported the policy, unions were bitterly opposed.

Mayor Dave Cull said it was an "exceedingly difficult call to make", given that 60,000 to 90,000 visitors would be in Dunedin over the long weekend.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• tvnz.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

This was made possible following a 2017 liquor bill passed in the Dáil and will now be in place before Good Friday, which this year falls on March 30. Continue reading

Retail NZ spokesman Greg Harford said the delay meant both retailers and visitors would miss out. Continue reading

The Rotorua Lakes Council passed its Easter Sunday Shop Trading Policy by a majority vote this morning and has become the first region in New Zealand to take advantage of changes to the law to allow Easter Sunday trading.

Councillor Tania Tapsell was the only person to vote against the policy saying she was concerned for retail workers and the fact they could be taken advantage of by their employers. Continue reading

The blog tells how in December 2009, a current National Member of Parliament sent a handwritten Christmas card to Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, which said: "Thank you for your letter…urging me to vote against the Easter Trading Bill, which was narrowly defeated in Parliament last night. I share your concerns on this issue and did indeed cast my vote against the measure."

That same member of parliament, along with several other National MPs with long records of voting against extending Easter trading hours, were not present in Parliament last month when the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill was voted on. However, their votes were recorded as proxy votes for the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill because National members agreed to vote along party lines.

In 1997, when Labour proposed to vote on party lines on the Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal (Easter) Amendment Bill, National strongly objected in the Parliamentary debate, saying "These sorts of issues should be conscience issues. I am disappointed that the Labour party should exercise the party whip on an issue like this."

The Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill passed its second reading. The vote was 62 in favour 59 against.<

The Government has proposed Changes to the Bill that amends the Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act 1990. These changes include:

• Local authorities will have the ability to create local policies (rather than bylaws) to allow shop trading in defined areas on Easter Sunday.
• The changes also clarify that the ability to refuse to work on Easter Sunday is extended to all shop employees. The ‘right to refuse' provision allows employers and employees to negotiate freely, and means that all shop employees will have the ability to refuse to work on Easter Sunday without any repercussions for their employment relationship.

‘New Zealanders are only guaranteed three and a half days off each year. We should protect that, not reduce it,' said FIRST Union Retail and Finance Secretary Maxine Gay.

‘Workplace Relations Minister Michael Woodhouse is saying working people can refuse to work on Easter Sunday, but we know from bitter experience that there are consequences to saying no."

"People might find their hours reduced or those on a 90 day trial period might find themselves out of the job on day 89.'"

The Bill now goes into Committee stages.

Source

• caritas.org.nz
• mbie.govt.nz
• scoop.co.nz
• revolutionaryfrontlines.files.wordpress.com

The bill, which is being considered by Parliament's commerce committee, would allow councils to pass a by-law to allow shops to open.

But Local Government president Lawrence Yule said by-laws were time consuming and clumsy and could be subject to appeals. Continue reading

Every two years, Blenheim hosts the Omaka Classic Fighters event at Easter and the trading law restrictions mean retailers, restaurants and cellar doors cannot make the most of the thousands of extra visitors to the district.

Last month, Sowman wrote to National candidate Stuart Smith, Labour candidate Janette Walker and Green Party candidate Steffan Browning to get their support to exempt Marlborough from Easter trading rules every two years when the Classic Fighters event is held. Continue reading

Active monitoring of Easter trading law breaches may be scrapped in favour of giving labour inspectors more time to investigate migrant worker exploitation.

Labour Minister Simon Bridges has signalled that in the future officials may rely solely on complaints because inspection staff were needed elsewhere.

"There are some very serious issues in relation to migrant workers and exploitation in this country," he said.

"It is a question of using our resources and the labour inspectorate better."

There is support from the Employers and Manufacturers Association. EMA employment services manager David Lowe says they are getting cases of migrant workers being paid $4 or $5 an hour, which is unacceptable.

"We need to make sure that that law is upheld. And I certainly would say that that is far more important than worrying about whether a garden shop is open on Easter Sunday or not."

A garden shop chain that for years has ignored the law and opened at Easter has welcomed the Government's move to go easy on them next year.

Darren Odering's 10 garden centres are always open at Easter. Doing that has cost him nearly $200,000 in fines over the years, so he's welcoming news that the policing of Easter trading laws could be relaxed.

"Generally [it's] our Easter sale and we're very busy - a great time for planting - and we have a lot of demand from people to be open."

Family First NZ believes that the National government wants to liberalise Easter trading laws as a pay-back for the ‘Mondayisation' bill which was passed in April.

"Families throughout NZ take time out for family holidays, camps, reunions, Easter church events, cultural and recreational events over Easter weekends. Even politicians take a Parliamentary Recess during this period. Kiwis employed in the retail industry should also be able to enjoy the public holidays and extended weekend," says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• 3 News
• NewsTalkZB
• Scoop
• Image: CND.3News.co

10 bills have been put up by National members and one by Labour.

The present bill was sponsored by National MP for Waitaki Jacqui Dean and proposed allowing shops to open over Easter in Waitaki and Wanaka. It was voted down by 49 votes to 70 on Wednesday evening.

Dean says she will continue the fight to allow businesses in the electorate to trade at Easter, despite her latest attempt being defeated.

Votes on Easter are made by conscience vote.

Labour's industrial relations spokeswoman Darien Fenton said that central to the issue was workers' right to enjoy time off with family, which was only guaranteed three-and-a-half days a year: Easter Friday and Sunday, Christmas Day and half of Anzac Day.

She said ,"There isn't any way you can stop workers being forced to work." It was "just crazy" that National kept trying to push the issue. "Give it up."

Fenton acknowledged the law around Easter trading was "very messy" because it allowed some gardening centres to open and shops got fined every year for breaking the law.

First Union retail secretary Maxine Gay said New Zealand didn't need Easter trading.

"New Zealanders can shop on 361-and-a-half days a year, and on 51 of 52 Sundays of the year, and most shop workers could be required to work on any of these days."

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• The Southland Times
• Image: Caritas.org.nz

This was more 2 than the number of shops prosecuted for opening at Easter last year and three more than 2010.

Under the Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act 1990, there are just three and a half days a year on which shops are required to close: Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and on Anzac Day until 1pm, unless they have exemptions.

Blogger Chris Ford says " No one in their right mind (even retailers) are suggesting that we open up Anzac Day morning and Christmas Day to retailing. There is a consensus amongst Kiwis that these are important days for spiritual, social, commemorative or family reasons. But there have been attempts, mainly led by some retailers, to launch an onslaught on Easter trading laws in New Zealand in recent years."

"Although I admit that church attendance and spiritual observance has declined for the majority of New Zealanders, this weekend is still held to be significant by the substantial minority of Kiwis who are practising Christians," he says

"Also, even for those who are non-spiritual (such as myself) the four days of Easter provide the last chance to engage in either indoor or outdoor recreational, social or leisure pursuits before the onset of colder weather. Besides, Easter provides some respite from the endless commercialism of modern capitalism with its endless call to buy, buy, buy. To this extent, we even get two days where television and radio advertising is legally banned (today and Good Friday)."

Source

• The Press
• Voxy
• Image: Centro Mout Gambier