According to Verdi, politicians are increasingly being voices from politics, who want to consider free Sunday to be outdated and abolish. Silke Zimmer explains that the Verdi federal board member responsible for trade: “In our hectic everyday life, free Sunday is elementary and must not fall victim to profit interests. On Sundays, most people have free and come to rest ”. At a time when society is increasingly polarizing, Sunday is also a day of democracy. “It strengthens cohesion in society, and that is more important than ever these days,” Zimmer continues.
Free Sunday is of particular importance for the employees in retail. In regular shop opening times, some of which apply around the clock up to six days a week, the free Sunday is the only predictable free day when time for family, friends and social commitment remains. Sunday work is often not visible to customers, for example in fully digitized small supermarkets. They gave the impression to work on the outside world. But there are also employees to clear goods or to clean and control the shop.
“The arguments of the companies according to which Sunday openings would be necessary to secure their existence are ineffective. Sunday openings only move the customer flows, because people no longer have money available just because the shop opening hours are expanded, ”says Zimmer.
According to the union, advances from state politics have recently increased, who want to make changes in the law to expand Sunday opening hours, most recently in Schleswig-Holstein, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Bavaria. “Verdi, on the other hand, will continue to vehemently defend itself and use legal means,” emphasized the trade unionist.
March 3, as an international day of free Sundays, a decision by the Roman emperor Konstantin in 321 is based: This was imposed on the first state ban on Sunday.