The STUC today urged MSPs to support the Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Trading (Scotland) Bill and back proposals to close large stores on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The Bill, which would apply to large stores in excess of 3,000 square feet, will be debated in Parliament today.

Grahame Smith, general secretary, STUC, urged MSPs to lend their support to the Bill, in order to prevent workers feeling pressured to work during the holiday period. He said: “Retail is one of the largest sectors of the Scottish workforce with over 250,000 people employed. A significant proportion of these staff and their families would be adversely affected by pressure to work during the holiday period.

“If New Year’s Day and Christmas Day were to develop into normal trading days in Scotland, subsequently more people will have to work – including cleaners, security staff, police, health workers, and public transport workers where there will be pressure for a full service.

“I believe this is an important piece of legislation designed to ensure a sensible balance between spending time at work, during an already busy period, and spending time with family at a special time of year. I urge MSPs to lend support to the Bill today”.

Related news items:

• Barred from the vote
• Big Brother: Political activist under comedy control
• Boyack issues Trossachs and Cairngorms plans
• Brown signals support for tax-raising powers for Holyrood
• Budget reaction in Scotland