This week, the Slovenian State Assembly passed an act introducing a ban on trading on Sundays and public holidays – informs the service Wiadomościhandlowe.pl. Interestingly, it is not supported by the Slovenian government, but the entry into force of the new regulations is a foregone conclusion – it will take place 15 days after the publication of the legal act in the Slovenian equivalent of our Journal of Laws.
Slovenia bans trading on Sundays
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Slovenian media reports that stores in the country were closed on Sundays as early as March 2020 as part of the country’s efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Those regulations have already expired, but now the Slovenian parliament has decided to introduce them permanently, in a slightly different form.
The solutions introduced in Slovenia are very similar to those that have been in force since March 2018 in Poland. As a rule, shops in Slovenia will be closed on Sundays, but there are exceptions for establishments where owners, students or retirees will be behind the counter.
Other exceptions will apply to stores with an area of up to 200 sq m, operating at petrol stations, at railway stations, at bus stations, etc. Trade will also be allowed on 12 Sundays a year.
– Slovenia introduces solutions very similar to those in force in Poland – comments Alfred Bujara, head of the trade section of NSZZ “Solidarność”.
– This is good news not only for trade workers in this country, but also from our point of view. If other European countries follow our law, it means that it is simply good, adds the initiator of the Polish law on Sunday trade restriction.
The draft amendment to the Slovenian trade law (this is where the provisions banning sales on Sundays were included) was submitted to parliament by an opposition left-wing party. The amendments to the aforementioned law were supported by 72 members of the State Assembly, with 13 votes against (the entire lower house of parliament has 90 deputies).
The initiators of the new regulations were the Slovenian trade unions. Employers’ organizations protested against regulations restricting trade on Sundays.
The regulations were also not supported by the Slovenian government, and the minister of economy warned about the effects of the ban on the trade sector, jobs, suppliers and tourist destinations.
The Slovenian media reminds that already in 2003 over 57 percent. The Slovenes were backed in a referendum by the ban on trading on Sundays.
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