Previous Weeks

Public Holiday Shopping

06:00 News - 28/04/2010 - 06:02 AM
ABC 891 Adelaide (Adelaide)
Newsreader
Executive Producer Mr Mark Addinall
The Shop Assistants' Union says Adelaide Councillor, Ralph Clarke's push for public holiday shopping in the city is about getting elected Lord Mayor. Peter Malinauskas, Shop Assistants Union, says retail workers in the city shouldn't have to work on public holidays. He calls Clarke's move an 'appalling use of politics'

Mornings - 27/04/2010 - 09:13 AM


5AA (Adelaide)
Leon Byner
Interview with Peter Malinauskas, spokesperson, Shop Distributive Association, about Ralph Clarke's argument that shops in Rundle Mall should be allowed to open on public holidays. Malinauskas says when Clarke was Deputy Leader of the Labor Party he was a staunch supporter of the movement to oppose deregulation. Malinauskas says there is nobody who is coming to Adelaide from Sydney, Melbourne or overseas to be able to shop at supermarkets and department stores, noting that cities like Rome, Paris and Vienna don't have Sunday trading but still attract tourists. Malinauskas adds that SA's 60,000 retail workers deserve a day off as much as anybody else. Malinauskas says that 90% of shops in Rundle Mall are allowed to trade anyway, and it is only Myer, DJ's and Woolworths that can't trade. Malinauskas says shops in Rundle Mall are allowed to trade until 9pm during the evening, but none of the big shops take up this offer. Ralph Clarke, Adelaide City Council, says while he did strongly oppose the extension of shop trading hours 15 years ago, South Australians have shown him he was wrong through Sunday trading. Clarke says of the 60,000 retail workers, tens of thousands of them worked yesterday at Glenelg, Harbour Town, Whyalla, Port Pirie, IGAs and Foodlands. Clarke says Malinauskas needs to argue that all shops should be closed, and questions how anybody could tell Trims to close on a public holiday while Ray's on West Terrace is allowed to open. Malinauskas says he is in favour of consistent laws, and not in favour of stores in Glenelg and Harbour Town being open. Malinauskas adds however that a balance has to be found, and that he thinks the current legislation has a balance. Byner says the Minister was busy this morning, but that his opinion would be the same as the Shop Distributive Association.