Members of trade unions and churches have formed a holy alliance to lobby for work free Sundays in the EU.
On Sunday March 4th. demonstrations took place in thirteen European countries highlighting the enormous benefits when people have common spare time on Sundays.
“Sunday’s have no price. Common spare time is precious for everyone,” said a spokesman for the European Sunday Alliance.
The Alliance brings together a network of trade unions, civil society organisations and religious communities committed to raise awareness of the unique value of synchronised free time for European societies.
It has over 50 members (trade unions) and a further 24 supporters, including the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE).
“In times of financial and economic crisis, when more and more social and employment rights are coming under pressure, the work-free Sunday is a clear and visible demonstration that the people and our societies are not dependent solely on work and the economy,” wrote Comece.
“We believe that all citizens of the European Union are entitled to benefit from decent working hours that, as a matter of principle, exclude working late evenings, nights, public holidays and Sundays. Only essential services should operate on Sundays.”
In its founding document, the European Sunday Alliance (ESA) draws attention to the enormous benefits to be gained by common free time, which is good for health, the family and social cohesion.
“Extensive or irregular working time arrangements make it difficult to impossible for workers to enjoy a proper family life and to reconcile work with duties towards children and other dependents,” they write.
According to the ESA, while essential services like police, health services and emergency services must be provided on Sundays, “a common weekly day of rest creates the necessary framework with regard to the collective rhythm of time in all the Member States of the EU. It serves to strengthen social cohesion in our societies.”
Only a well-protected common work-free day per week enables citizens to enjoy, “full participation in cultural, sports, social and religious life, to seek cultural enrichment and spiritual well-being and to engage in volunteer work and association activities. Without this day, all these forms of social interaction and pastime would be endangered,” they say.
Last weekend several demonstrations took place in Italy. Susanna Camusso, the leader of the country's biggest trade union, CGIL, joined picketers outside a Rome shopping centre and there were similar demonstrations and street parties in in Florence, Milan and Pisa.
"Liberalising businesses by opening them seven days a week does not increase consumption but it has an impact on the material conditions of workers with ever harsher shifts and increased demands on flexibility," said Ms Camusso.
In Malta, the bishop of Gozo, Mario Grech, said that Sunday should be left work-free except for cases where it was absolutely necessary, and he appealed to the people of Malta to cooperate with the European Sunday Alliance.
“I appeal to the people to cooperate with this initiative and not work on Sunday unless their work is necessary in society."
Macdara Doyle, spokesperson for ICTU told ciNews that there had been no contact officially yet between the European Sunday Alliance and the Irish unions, “but it may come up in time” through the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
“The issue on Sunday trading was lost in the 1990s in Ireland,” he said.
At the time the Irish unions fought against the introduction, but eventually through the introduction of Sunday Premium Pay, their objections were overcome and the practise was introduced.
“This pay has been whittled away over time,” he said. “Now I believe a lot of stores would not be averse to shutting down one day a week.”