The leader of Bermuda's largest union has come out against Sunday shop opening - a sentiment echoed by most shop workers who spoke to The Royal Gazette yesterday.

George Grundmuller, chairman of the retail division of the Chamber of Commerce, has said retailers had been in talks with Government for several years to get year-round Sunday opening.

Healthy pre-Christmas sales have strengthened their resolve to open from 1-5 p.m.

But Bermuda Industrial Union president Derrick Burgess said: “I certainly would be against it.

He said it seemed like all Bermudian traditions were being eroded in the interest of the dollar.

“This union took a stance against Sunday opening for grocery stores, what happened is what you see, young children working there when really we feel their time should spent preparing for next week and going to school.

“I understand the economics of it. I am just opposed to us operating like we have to do as every other country. Bermuda is supposed to be unique.

“If we continue the way were going we'll lose that uniqueness.

“It's OK over Christmas time, but not all the year round.”

He said workers outside the hospitality and catering industry could normally count on Sunday as a day off but this was being eroded.

“Now we are treating Sunday like it's a Monday or a Tuesday, we should observe at least one day.”

In the 2003 budget Finance Minister Eugene Cox promised Government would “review the policy on holiday trading to give retail shops more flexibility.”

A spokesman for the Finance Ministry said the topic was still under review and no immediate change was on the cards.

However Mr. Grundmuller said he had a “gut feeling” 2004 would be the year it changed.

“2003 was an election year and there were lots of other things happening.”

This year was the third year shops were allowed to open before Christmas and the first they have been able to open on the Sunday after.

Mr. Grundmuller said the intention was to relax restrictions and allow the individual retailer to open if they wished.

“The grocery stores were successful with Sunday opening. It's been a big success from their point of view and for the customers.

“Not every store is going to want to open in January but you want to take that opportunity when the cruise ships are in.”

He said tourist-related stores under 2,500 square feet were allowed to open on Sunday so other stores wanted a level playing field.

Asked if employees would be given a choice of working Mr. Grundmuller said: “Yes, I would think so.

“It's been our experience when we are open on a Sunday there are a lot more volunteers to work than jobs available, mainly because they pay a higher Sunday rate.”

The Royal Gazette visited some Hamilton stores to gauge reaction to the plan. Two workers at an appliance store were asked if they would want to work on Sunday's.

One said: “That would be a big fat no, but if you asked our owners they would probably say that we should be open on Sundays.”

A second worker said: “No way in hell do we want it. Sunday is the only day I'm guaranteed a day off. It's supposed to be a day of rest, I don't want to have to work on Sunday too.

“Like a friend of mine said, it would be like taking the ‘Bermudianess' out of Bermuda. Bermuda just never used to be like this.”

A Somerset resident who works in a Hamilton gift shop during the week and works in a Dockyard gift shop on the weekends said: “I think its a pretty bad idea.

“If Hamilton opens on Sunday afternoons, then Dockyard will be losing a lot of business. But personally I don't really mind working on a Sunday.”

A supervisor at a stationary store said: “Most of us go to church on Sundays so we couldn't work.

“Our manager had a meeting with all of the workers and asked if we would be willing to work on Sundays and all of us said no. No one was in support of being open seven days a week.”

However a clothes store worker said: “I don't see anything wrong with being open on Sundays,” adding that she wanted to make as much money as she could.

“For me, personally, there is nothing stopping me from working on Sundays, so I would do it to make a couple extra dollars.”

“Here at this store, there was a holiday where we were given the option of working, and all the employees signed up to work.

“I would be fine working on a Sunday afternoon, from 1-5 p.m., but I wouldn't really want to work all day on Sunday.”