Retail a hot cross topic

Feilding residents are split over whether the town’s retailers should open on Easter Sunday, submissions to the Manawatu¯ District Council show.

Officials will decide next month to grant shopowners the power to choose whether they will open on the Sunday or whether shops across the district will remain closed.

If the council did allow shops to open, employees would be allowed to decline working and wouldn’t have to give their boss a reason.

Of the 148 submissions received by the council, 61 were in favour of trading and 87 wanted to stay with the status quo.

The proposal drew criticism from several of the town’s churches, who said few imperatives to trade were so urgent they couldn’t wait one day, despite people’s religious beliefs.

Those against it were also skeptical employers wouldn’t accept an employee’s right to refuse to work, saying many were loyal to their boss and would feel pressured to say yes.

Alternatively, others said a move to allow trading would reduce the inequality caused by the existing law, which allowed some shops to open but not others.

Research by Neilsen showed 59 per cent of Kiwis wanted shops to open, with more than 39 councils voting in favour of the move, Feilding resident Gary Barnett said.

‘‘Retailing is becoming more difficult with the advent of online shopping and the ... council should not dictate to any retailer when they should trade. I believe half the retailers in Feilding probably wouldn’t open, but they should have the opportunity to.’’

First Union New Zealand representative Dion Martin said workers often reported difficulties when requesting time off during public holidays.

If accepted, the proposal could lead retailers to ask for shops to also open on Good Friday, Christmas Day and the morning of Anzac Day. ‘‘The union has no confidence in businesses respecting a worker’s right to refuse work on Easter.’’

Salvation Army corps officer Rance Stuart knew a father who worked six days each week. ‘‘A four-day weekend is like gold to a person like that.’’

Stuart said the importance of sharing a family meal and socialising with family shouldn’t be underestimated.

Anglican Parish of the Oroua ¯ spokeswoman Wendy Scott said shops were closed more than 100 days each year in the 1970s. Now, they are closed only 31⁄2 days. ‘‘The increasing trend of consumerism is often masked under the label of economic development.’’

Patricia Cosgrove believed a similar rule to Anzac Day should be created. Trading could begin at 1pm, allowing family and religious commitments to be met in the morning, she said.