Treasurer Mike Baird is committed to allowing all shops to open on Boxing Day, despite protest rallies staged by church and union leaders who believe the move will lead to retail staff being forced to work on Christmas Day and Easter.

Christian Democrats leader Fred Nile said he had been ”sounded out” about the government proposal, but would not support it in the upper house. ”We don’t want to give them an inch,” Mr Nile said.

Ministers of religion and union leaders presented Mr Nile with a letter they have jointly signed that asks Premier Barry O’Farrell to guarantee that retail trading hours will not be extended to include Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Boxing Day and Anzac Day. Ministers from the Anglican, Catholic, Uniting and Baptist churches and representatives of Wesley Mission and the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association have signed the open letter.

Gerard Dwyer, NSW branch secretary for the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association, said workers are concerned that the federal government is considering seeking an agreement to introduce uniform trading hours across the country. ”At the core of these public holidays are people’s families and friends,” he said. ”The economic case has not been made for opening trade on Easter Sunday. We can have good post-Christmas sales on December 27.”

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