Local Government Association of Queensland Conference- Trading Hours
There is no evidence that there is any public pressure to extend trading hours. Small and medium sized retailers can already trade any hours they choose, ensuring everyone can get the essentials they need whenever they need them.
The SDA is disappointed that the Local Government Association of Queensland is considering proposing changes to trading hours without consulting retail workers.
Longer hours for Coles, Woolies and Aldis mean fewer customers for the small mum and dad operators who are members of the community. The extra money hauled in by the giant retail chains is sucked out of your local economy and goes straight to their head offices in Sydney and Melbourne.
Longer hours for Coles, Woolies and ALDI will not create a single extra job. Respected studies show that when hours are extended the existing frontline retail workers are simply spread more thinly, with fewer people working each hour, with less backup, making them even more vulnerable to the rising tide of customer violence.
In short, longer hours would likely lead to local small businesses shutting up shop, less money going into the local economy, local job losses and negative impacts on those local retail workers employed by the retail giants.
Councils may be asked for their views on extended trading hours by the independent Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.
They should not respond without seeking independent and authoritative and independent advice on the impact on the local economy or without extensive consultations with their community, especially retail workers who are local residents.