Retailers warn on public holidays

Cosatu has reiterated calls that six public holidays should be just that — days off. With a general election scheduled for next year, the federation is concerned South Africans will be forced to work and not be able to vote. The union is also concerned that workers do not get these days off out of fear of losing their jobs.

Cosatu wants the government to ensure all businesses, including retail stores and shopping malls, close for Christmas Day and Easter, which were previously non-trading public holidays by law. It has asked that election day, May Day (1 May), Freedom Day (27 April), Human Rights Day (21 March), Youth Day (16 June) and Women's Day (9 August) be made non-trading days.

Spokesman Patrick Craven said the federation had been making this call for some time to prevent workers from being exploited. “Apart from emergency services, these days should be actual holidays. For thousands of workers, they aren't.”

Michael Lawrence, executive director of the National Clothing Retail Federation of SA, said retailers were facing “huge pressure from high and rising interest rates and inflation”.

There were consequences in losing trading days, which included negative effects on employment and slower sales.

“There is evidence that non office hours shopping is still the activity of choice for the South African consumer.”

Pick n Pay CEO Nick Badminton warned that closing on those six days would have repercussions for the economy. “There is no doubt that being forced to close our doors for six days a year will have a substantially negative effect on sales,” he said.

Source: Business Day

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