Keep Sunday Special
Encyclopedia
Keep Sunday Special is a British campaign group set up in 1985 by Dr Michael Schluter CBE to oppose plans to introduce Sunday trading in England and Wales
(there are different arrangements in Scotland
and Northern Ireland
). The Keep Sunday Special campaign was set up and is run as a conventional secular civil society organisation with support from trade unions, churches, political parties, private businesses and members of all faiths and of none. It has no connection to the Lord's Day Observance Society.
was declining, and other newer religions celebrated a different sabbath day or none. However some Christians set up letter writing campaigns.
Trade unions and employers gave assurances that no worker would be forced to work on Sundays and surveys showed that even among Christians, many shopped on a Sunday so it was passed into law for a limited time. Under the Sunday Trading Act 1994
, large shops are allowed to open for up to six hours on a Sunday between 10am and 6pm. The UK Department of Trade and Industry conducted a review of the Act in early 2006 to consider whether to extend opening hours to 9 hours or to remove restrictions entirely. "Large" means having a retail area of 3000 ft2 or more.
Keep Sunday Special believes that this move would have a damaging effect on families, communities and local economies. In this respect they stand alongside organisations like the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
(USDAW) who launched a Save our Sundays campaign, the Relationships Foundation
, Working Families and nearly 300 MPs signed an Early Day Motion
. On 6 July 2006, the then Trade and Industry Secretary, Alistair Darling
, confirmed that having considered all the evidence from the review, the Government concluded there should be no change to the Sunday trading laws. The news was welcomed by trade unions and small shops who were afraid large stores would undercut their prices and were opposed any change in the law.
Under the Sunday Trading Act 1994, large shops (that is, those with a retail floor area of more than 3000 ft2 may open only for six continuous hours.
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
(there are different arrangements in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
). The Keep Sunday Special campaign was set up and is run as a conventional secular civil society organisation with support from trade unions, churches, political parties, private businesses and members of all faiths and of none. It has no connection to the Lord's Day Observance Society.
History
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, before 1994 only small shops were allowed to open on Sunday, with large stores forced to remain shut. There were many rules at the time, such as being able to buy a pornographic magazine but not a Bible or birthday card. Strict observance of the sabbathSabbath
Sabbath in Christianity is a weekly day of rest or religious observance, derived from the Biblical Sabbath.Seventh-day Sabbath observance, i.e. resting from labor from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, is practiced by seventh-day Sabbatarians...
was declining, and other newer religions celebrated a different sabbath day or none. However some Christians set up letter writing campaigns.
Trade unions and employers gave assurances that no worker would be forced to work on Sundays and surveys showed that even among Christians, many shopped on a Sunday so it was passed into law for a limited time. Under the Sunday Trading Act 1994
Sunday Trading Act 1994
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom governing the right of shops in England and Wales to trade on a Sunday...
, large shops are allowed to open for up to six hours on a Sunday between 10am and 6pm. The UK Department of Trade and Industry conducted a review of the Act in early 2006 to consider whether to extend opening hours to 9 hours or to remove restrictions entirely. "Large" means having a retail area of 3000 ft2 or more.
Keep Sunday Special believes that this move would have a damaging effect on families, communities and local economies. In this respect they stand alongside organisations like the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers is a trade union in the United Kingdom. Consisting of over 405,000 members, USDAW is the UK's fourth largest and fastest growing trade union. Membership has increased by more than 17% in the last five years and by nearly a third in the last decade...
(USDAW) who launched a Save our Sundays campaign, the Relationships Foundation
Relationships Foundation
The Relationships Foundation is a British-based think tank which aims to change the way society approaches social, economic and political issues by balancing the needs of economics and relationships.- About Relationships Foundation :Their website says:...
, Working Families and nearly 300 MPs signed an Early Day Motion
Early day motion
An Early Day Motion , in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" . Controversial EDMs are not signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons and very few are debated on the floor...
. On 6 July 2006, the then Trade and Industry Secretary, Alistair Darling
Alistair Darling
Alistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010...
, confirmed that having considered all the evidence from the review, the Government concluded there should be no change to the Sunday trading laws. The news was welcomed by trade unions and small shops who were afraid large stores would undercut their prices and were opposed any change in the law.
Under the Sunday Trading Act 1994, large shops (that is, those with a retail floor area of more than 3000 ft2 may open only for six continuous hours.