2 Mar 2004

Fiji to review Sunday trading

4:13 pm on 2 March 2004

Fiji's labour ministry wants to restrict trading on Sundays to essential services only.

The Fiji Times reports that this is because of numerous complaints from supermarket and shop employees about not being properly paid for the extra hours worked.

The labour minister, Kenneth Zinck, says there has been a rampant increase in the number of applications for extra trading hours but the ministry is now looking into approving only essential services.

Mr Zinck says employees need time to rest and be with their families.

Sunday trading was banned after the Rabuka military coups in 1987 under pressure from the Methodist Church but the laws were relaxed in the mid-1990s.