All Shops to Reopen on Sundays
Employers and employees in the retail sector have broken a deadlock over the Sunday opening of shops with an agreement that Sunday opening hours will be governed by the sectoral collective agreement, not the trade act.
The social partners are expected to finalise the collective agreement by 30 September, the negotiators told the press on Friday, adding that the compromise would satisfy retailers and employees as well as consumers.
"The Calvary over opening hours has been dragging on for over two years...Any solution that is not a result of social agreement is bad and inadequate," Economic Affairs Minister Andrej Vizjak told the press.
He announced that the ministry would immediately draw up the appropriate amendments to the trade act, but they will enter into force only after the new collective agreement for trade is signed.
Until that is done, the current system will remain in place, as the amendments would likely need several rounds of harmonising, Vizjak revealed.
The head of the Retail Trade Union Franci Lavrac welcomed the deal, adding that he is convinced that the trade union's aim, namely to protect employees, has been achieved.
Retailers were also pleased with the deal, with Peter Zavrl, the head of the Association for Retail at the Chamber of Commerce (GZS), saying that retailers have shown maturity by reaching the agreement.
According to the compromise, pregnant employees and those taking care of children under the age of three will be exempt from Sunday work except if they agree to it in writing.
Workers with pre-school children older than three can work only up to ten Sundays a year, whereby every working Sunday must be followed by two off duty.
All other employees can work up to two Sundays a month and no more than 26 a year.
At the same time, the negotiators agreed that Sunday work will be paid double, with work on special holidays such as Christmas or New Year's triple.
Employers and trade union representatives moreover agreed on the holiday allowance for 2006, putting it at SIT 145,000 (EUR 602.81) and, in case of poor business results, at no less than SIT 125,000 (EUR 519.66).
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