Unions force poll over Sunday shopping

No shopping on Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse on Sundays, say the unions Keystone

Trade unions have forced a nationwide vote to try to overturn a decision by parliament to ease restrictions on Sunday work.

Last year, parliament agreed to allow shops at major railway stations and airports to extend the range of goods they can sell.

Shops at major stations can currently sell food and some goods, but others need a special licence to open on public holidays.

On Tuesday, a coalition of trade unions, consumer organisations, shopkeepers and churches handed in more than 80,000 signatures to the federal authorities.

Under Swiss law, 50,000 signatures are needed to challenge a parliamentary decision with a nationwide vote.

The government will now have to set a date for the poll.

The Federation of Trade Unions said the debate was about more than whether restrictions on shopping should be lifted at a few dozen railway stations and airports.

Stop snowball effect

“We have to prevent Sunday work from snowballing,” the federation said in a statement.

The federation president, Paul Rechtsteiner, said that a majority of employees did not want a further increase in Sunday work.

He said this type of employment was not as well paid as regular working hours during the week.

The statement added that work-free Sundays were a major historical achievement by the Swiss unions.

Sunday work was banned in principle in Swiss factories as part of labour legislation in 1877.

There are currently separate moves in parliament to ease general restrictions in the retail and service sectors.

swissinfo with agencies

In brief

September 2004 – Parliament decides to ease restrictions on shopping in major railway stations and airports with sales of more than SFr20 million ($16.6 million).

October 2004 – Trade unions, church groups and consumer organisations start collecting signatures to challenge the amended law.

January 2005 – More than 80,000 signatures handed in to the Federal Chancellery.