'˜Retail workers deserve day off'

That is the view of the DUP’s Gavin Robinson who took part in a debate at Westminster last week on Boxing Day retail arrangements.

The debate came about after massive support for an online petition for retail staff to have Boxing Day off to spend more time with family.

The East Belfast MP said: “This is a debate which many businesses will take great interest in.

“I believe that there should be protections for workers, particularly those who do not want to work on Boxing Day.

“No one should be forced to work on Boxing Day. If businesses find it necessary to open, financial incentives should be provided for employees.”

The e-petition calling for Boxing Day to be given protected status similar to Christmas Day and Easter Day gained around 140,000 signatures - more than the 100,000 required for Parliament to consider holding a debate.

The petition stated: “Christmas is a family time. The one day is not enough time to see two sides of families. Retail workers work extremely hard during the Christmas run up and only get the one day.

“If only everywhere could be closed Boxing Day. Some things are needed over the festive period; retail isn’t one of them.”

NIIRTA Chief Executive Glyn Roberts believed the matter was something for retailers to decide rather than government.

He said: “Our view is that retailers themselves are best equipped to make the call about whether they should open or not rather than government making the call.

“It’s a very important day for retailers. It’s hard to put a ranking, but certainty for large retailers it is in the top five.”

He continued: “We shouldn’t forget in all of this the fantastic role retail workers play throughout the Christmas period.

“The people who signed the petition are acting on the best motivation, thinking about the welfare of retail staff over the busy Christmas period.

“There are many people who take temporary retail jobs over Christmas and want to do as many hours as they can, so it isn’t right to assume that everyone in retail would want Boxing Day off.”

During the Westminister debate Labour MP Helen Jones said Boxing Day should be a “day of rest” while Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns, said the UK “should not bite the hand that feeds us”.

The debate did not involve a vote so cannot enforce a change in the law, but is a chance for MPs to demonstrate whether it is an issue with support in Parliament.

In response to the petition, the government said: “We do not believe it is for central government to tell businesses how to run their shops or how best to serve their customers. Therefore we are not proposing to ban shops from opening on Boxing Day.”