tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post5352599841879571497..comments2024-03-05T10:52:24.691+00:00Comments on Mark Wadsworth: Fun Online Polls: The next US President & Sunday trading hoursMark Wadsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07733511175178098449noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-29317496737532440442016-03-12T13:50:11.815+00:002016-03-12T13:50:11.815+00:00TS, agreed that Sunday being the day of rest is a ...TS, agreed that Sunday being the day of rest is a hangover from more theocratic days. I suppose the argumant is whether it's better for the citizens and the economy if everyone has the same day off, or whether everyone has at least one day off a week. The five-day working week, BTW, is something pretty recent.<br />There's some interesting stuff at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SabbathBayardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15211150959757982948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-48917744415445767532016-03-11T00:01:59.168+00:002016-03-11T00:01:59.168+00:00Bayard,
Yes, it is. But Jews don't celebrate ...Bayard,<br /><br />Yes, it is. But Jews don't celebrate theirs on Sunday, but on Saturday. And I'm not against people having at least one day off, and yes, it's good for people to do it. But, in which case, why don't we have the same laws on Saturday? And we don't apply these laws to warehouse workers or people on call centres, but only to shops. And then, only to big shops rather than small ones.<br /><br />I've worked on projects where we had to put in some 6 day weeks and I've always chosen Saturday as my day off. I'd much rather work on Sunday.Tim Almondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13369256383976094670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-27487898470932778932016-03-10T21:18:56.966+00:002016-03-10T21:18:56.966+00:00"I'm in favour of reform on principle. Th..."I'm in favour of reform on principle. These laws only exist because of Jesus."<br /><br />The idea of the sabbath, the day of rest, is far, far older than Jesus. ISTM like an empirical, rather than a religious thing: when most work is physical labour you get more work out of a worker if you let them rest one day in seven. Whether that still applies when most work is mental labour is a matter of debate.Bayardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15211150959757982948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-56463049435575007172016-03-10T14:24:46.151+00:002016-03-10T14:24:46.151+00:00When sections of the current coalition govt hereab...When sections of the current coalition govt hereabouts suggested abolishing the rather strict sunday closing laws (very few shops are allowed to open at all, but everyone else gets 4 sundays that's usually spent before christmas) hereabouts, it didn't go well. Actually there was almost unanimous opposition from all the retailer orgs; they saw it as a sort of prisoner's dilemma. Labour costs on sunday are high, and margins very thin most of the year (except for a few segments), but they'd have no choice but to open up on sundays, potentially adding 30-40 days of losses - and the smaller retailers would be further disadvantaged, except that those who would be able to tally up family members to work for free on sundays. So neither employers or employees wanted it. It's one of those cultural things, that hasn't much to do with religion anymore, and I admit I'm happy that they ditched it.Kjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13530243002915410700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-65843586268498385242016-03-10T10:18:15.224+00:002016-03-10T10:18:15.224+00:00Ideally not many hours, but it should be decided b...Ideally not many hours, but it should be decided by local councils. I believe in localism although sadly councils are very unrepresentative due to how FPTP works.L fairfaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12274756119129254373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-24107515660083173312016-03-10T08:50:49.760+00:002016-03-10T08:50:49.760+00:00What has been highlighted by the commons vote on S...What has been highlighted by the commons vote on Sunday trading is the gross hypocrisy of the SNP. Sunday all day trading is already allowed in Scotland yet they voted against allowing it in England and Wales. If ever there was a case for an English parliament then they have provided it. Better still kick them out of the union. <br /><br />Antistheneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10120647617145756102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-25322074417061930082016-03-09T22:59:41.229+00:002016-03-09T22:59:41.229+00:00There's plenty of time for people to have off....There's plenty of time for people to have off. It's not like Sainsbury's would turn people from working 10-5 into 10-midnight. They'll have another shift.<br /><br />In general, I don't mind that much. I know where the just-below-the-size-limit Tesco Metro/Morrisons stores are, and that's most shopping covered. I'm not that bothered if I can't buy some china or a coat at 6pm on a Sunday.<br /><br />Five thoughts:-<br />1) I'm in favour of reform on principle. These laws only exist because of Jesus.<br />2) There's certainly cases where it would help, like around Christmas<br />3) Small shops are closing. Many of them only exist because someone once sunk money into one. When they retire, the business won't get taken over.<br />4) Amazon Instant will pick up a lot of the problem anyway (as well as driving more small shops to the wall)<br />5) Easter Sunday. There's broad support for Christmas being a bit special. It's a day when people get together. But almost no-one treats Easter as a special day. But you can't go to B&Q. I'd like that to be sorted out.Tim Almondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13369256383976094670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-22295769832875345852016-03-09T22:47:15.005+00:002016-03-09T22:47:15.005+00:00B, good point about "shop". Could also m...B, good point about "shop". Could also mean "workshop" etc, but at least it is English. We are a nation of shopkeepers not a nation of Goddam' storekeepers.Mark Wadsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733511175178098449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-15370962063159040382016-03-09T21:32:27.731+00:002016-03-09T21:32:27.731+00:00"(that's the modern word for 'shops&#..."(that's the modern word for 'shops' despite being a complete misnomer - a store is what's in the warehouse FFS)"<br /><br />It's just more creeping Americanisation. Interestingly shop has always meant "booth or shed for trade or work," whereas, as you say, store originally meant not so much the building, but what was kept in it.Bayardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15211150959757982948noreply@blogger.com