By Evie Andreou
Traders were very disappointed with business over the Easter period, small shopkeepers’ union POVEK general secretary Stefanos Koursaris said on Tuesday.
Koursaris said that Easter turnover was substantially lower this year compared to previous years.
A big chunk of the expected turnover went to supermarket chains and large superstores which benefited from the extended shop hours, he said.
“With the exception of basic items (foodstuff), the rest of the market has suffered a loss compared to previous years,” Koursaris said.
“We realise that from the one hand the economic crisis has restricted sales to basic items but on the other hand the extended shop hours benefit supermarket chains and big superstores,” he added. Koursaris argues that this threatens healthy competition.
POVEK is warning that unless the minister of labour either proposes an amendment to the law that will satisfy everyone’s needs or drops the current decree on extended shop hours, they would take measures.
“As a first step, we will hang black flags outside our shops on a date that will be announced later, probably on Friday,” Koursaris told the Cyprus Mail. He also warned of further measures.
The extended shop hours are on the agenda of the meeting between POVEK, trade unions PEO, SEK and DEOK and other concerned parties such as convenience store owners, bakeries and hairdressers, scheduled for this Friday.
POVEK members will also participate next week in regional meetings to discuss their issues, on Monday in Limassol, Tuesday in Larnaca and Wednesday in Nicosia. Discussions are also slated for an upcoming meeting of the House Labour Committee.
Koursaris expressed his dismay over the government’s inability to enforce measures that help support small businesses such as the so-called ‘solidarity fund’, which he added “remains a theory and empty words”.
The first decree on extended shop hours was issued in July 2013. It allows shops outside of tourist areas to remain open for longer hours, seven days a week.
POVEK objected from the beginning to the decree since they feared it would harm small and medium size shops instead of helping them, as they cannot afford to hire more staff to cover the longer hours.
The organisation has decided to legally challenge the decree, which was initially set for a trial period of three months.
In September 2013, big retailers who founded a new association, the Pancyprian Association of Retailers, called for the extended opening hours to remain permanent. The decree was extended in October until the end of November 2013. The current decree will run until May 31.
Before the current decree was issued the labour minister said the government was working on a bill to permanently extend opening hours.
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