Letter of support from the German Sunday Alliance (deregulation of shop opening hours in Italy)

Filcams CGIL Nazionale
c.a Segretario Generale
Francesco Martini
Via Leopoldo Serra 31
00153 Rome
ITALIE
Email: Cristian.Sesena@filcams.cgil.it

Allianz für den freien Sonntag
c/o Katholische Arbeitnehmer-
Bewegung Deutschlands
Hannes Kreller/ KAB
Leiter des Referats Verbandsentwicklung
Pettenkoferstrasse 8/III
80336 München
Tel.: 089/ 55254914
Fax: 089/ 5503882
E-Mail: hannes.kreller@kab.de
www.allianz-fuer-den-freien-sonntag.de
München, 12.12.2012

Dear friends,
Our organization has learned that the Italian Government has announced the full deregulation of shop opening hours in Italy in conjunction with an unacceptable austerity program. There is a risk that stores and supermarkets open 24 hours a day, Sundays and public holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

We condemn the attack against employment. There may be closures of thousands of small and large businesses that can not withstand competition. There will be even more precarious workers hired for these unsocial hours. Consumers will be affected, because these closures will be concentrated in residential areas, local retailers, and this will be in favour of big retailers in the suburbs. And the elderly? And people with
mobility problems? And those who do not have a car?

This change in legislation promises to be a disaster for the historic centers of cities in the provinces, with an accentuation of desertification. Consumption will not increase with the extension of opening hours, as the purchasing power will be under pressure due to austerity measures. Tomorrow, the increase of night work, Sunday and holidays, will create a gap between workers and their families, will increase the malaise at all levels.

We are shocked to learn that the writer of this legislation comes from the Federdistribuzione, the employers' federation of commerce.  We support the FILCAMS-CGIL in its fight against anti-social hours of work and wish it great success for the strike today in order to obtain a change in the bill draft.

Best regards

Hannes Kreller


Source: http://www.europeansundayalliance.eu/site/article_list.siteswift? so=site_article_list&do=site_article_list&c=download&d=article%3A95%3A1