Retailers’ push to remove trading restrictions on public holidays is an attack on Australians’ right to spend important holidays with their family and will have no beneficial impact on the economy at all.

Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association NSW Secretary Gerard Dwyer said the argument that forcing shops to open on days like Boxing Day would be good for jobs and the economy is completely baseless.

“The argument that opening stores on days like Boxing Day is good for the economy is unsubstantiated,” Mr Dwyer said.

“Research show that opening stores on additional days our doesn’t make a difference to the amount of money spent in stores – it just redistributes the spending. People don’t magically get more money in their pockets on Boxing Day or any other day of significance.

“There’s no economic benefit to unrestricted trading – all we end up with is families robbed of the right to spend important holidays like Boxing Day with their families.

“We’d hope that our state and federal governments will stand up for Australian families in the face of these retail giants’ push to remove trading restrictions on important holidays like Boxing Day.

“We should be looking at what is best for the community at large, rather than bowing to the demands of a sector of the retail industry.

“We’ve got Sunday trading and trading on most public holidays already to make sure people can shop during hours that suit them. Let’s not bow to the pressures of some misguided retailers and sacrifice our right to spend those last remaining few special days each year with our families.

“People can shop over 360 days a year. To rob workers and their families of those last few remaining days is ludicrous and will only serve to keep families apart on important holidays.”