We'll tell you why we don't like Sundays at work

Shopworkers shouldn't lose their Sundays at this summer's Olympics. Delegates at Usdaw's Annual Delegate Meeting (ADM) reaffirmed the union's opposition to the deregulation of Sunday trading, calling on the government to drop plans to suspend Sunday trading restrictions during the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. The union fears the planned eight week suspension would be a stepping stone to further trading hours deregulation. Rounding off what the union described as a 'passionate debate', Usdaw general secretary John Hannett said: 'At last year's ADM we were encouraging members to respond to the government's Red Tape Challenge consultation on the deregulation of Sunday trading. Members responded in their thousands and the Tories retreated, admitting that the majority of respondents to the consultation did not want further deregulation. Yet, here we are again with another attempt to deregulate.' He added: 'For some reason, the government have decided that during the most important world festival of sport, what the general public really wants to do is go shopping. As a result, Usdaw members' right to family time on a Sunday is once again under threat. Usdaw wants to see a successful Olympics, but there is no need or widespread demand for extended Sunday trading in the run up to and during the Games.' Delegates to the conference also pledged to fight the government's attack on workers' employment rights, particularly the decision to increase the qualifying period for unfair dismissal from one year to two years and the proposal to introduce fees for employment tribunal applications.

Usdaw news release and news release on the government employment rights changes. Morning Star.