Caritas representatives appearing before Parliament’s Commerce Committee on Thursday argued against proposed changes to Easter Sunday trading.
A proposed law change – the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill – would let local councils pass bylaws allowing shops in their area to open on Easter Sunday.
Caritas’s Lisa Beech said Easter Sunday trading would affect community events.
She also questioned the effectiveness of protection of worker’s rights to refuse to work on Easter Sunday stated in the bill.
Caritas director Julianne Hickey invited select committee members to convene on Easter Sunday to experience what working on that day would feel like.
She said Caritas members would make themselves available for such a meeting.
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