Polish lawmakers have approved a bill that would eventually end Sunday shopping by 2020. The idea was initiated by trade unions to allow workers have a day to spend with their families, according to Catholic Herald.
Poland remains steadfast in keeping its Christian identity. It wants to keep the Sabbath day holy, as what the Bible says.
The lower house of Poland’s parliament, the Sejm, passed the bill by 254 to 156. The phasing out of Sunday shopping will be carried out gradually.
If approved by the Senate and President Andzrej Duda, Sunday shopping would be allowed on the first and last Sunday of the month until 2018. In 2019, citizens could still shop on the last Sunday of the month, and then totally ban it in 2010.
Exempted from the ban are bakeries, online stores, and stores in gasoline stations and railway stations. Citizens could also shop on Sundays before holidays such as Christmas.
Poland remains steadfast in keeping its Christian identity. It wants to keep the Sabbath day holy, as what the Bible says. Poland is one of the last European countries to reject abortion and same-sex marriage, despite pressure from neighboring countries, reports LifeSiteNews.
The bishops’ conference in Poland lauded the move, but hoped it would have a wider coverage. Father Paweł Rytel-Andrianik, spokesman for the Polish Bishops Conference, said everyone should rest on Sunday to build family ties and strengthen relations.
He added that, “Sunday rest cannot be a luxury for a chosen few, but is an integral part of equal treatment for all employees. Therefore, there is an urgent need to make all Sundays free from work, just as is already the case in many European Union countries.”
As expected, the free from work Sunday is unpopular with economists.
“Some people will lose their jobs or part of their income, especially those employed on hourly wages,” explained economist and entrepreneur Piotr Zapałowicz.
Michal Dybula, a Warsaw-based economic strategist, said “any restriction of economic activity, such as retail trade, results in weaker economic growth.”
Sources:
Catholic Herald
LifeSiteNews
