Opening hours to depend on the size of retail outlets

27 april 1998
Kristine Nergaard
Norway
The parliamentary standing committee on family, culture and administration has recommended, in a report made public on 1 April 1998, a tightening of the provisions regulating opening hours in the retail trade. As a result, opening hours will depend on the size of retail outlets, and be more restrictive in relation to evening and Sunday trading. Only outlets with less than 100 square metres of floor space, and petrol stations with less than 150 square metres are allowed to stay open on Sundays or after 21.00 on weekdays. The original proposal put forward by the present coalition Government had suggested restrictions based on goods sold rather than size. After much debate and controversy this was rejected in favour of size criteria, which means that the committee's recommendation is almost identical to the proposal which was put forward by the previous Labour Government in 1997 (NO9707116F [1]). [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-working-conditions/new-legislative-proposal-on-the-regulation-of-retail-opening-hours
Article

Norway's standing parliamentary committee on family, culture and administration recommended in April 1998 new provisions to restrict opening hours in the retail trade. A majority in favour of the new provisions seems to be the most likely outcome of a vote in Parliament.

The parliamentary standing committee on family, culture and administration has recommended, in a report made public on 1 April 1998, a tightening of the provisions regulating opening hours in the retail trade. As a result, opening hours will depend on the size of retail outlets, and be more restrictive in relation to evening and Sunday trading. Only outlets with less than 100 square metres of floor space, and petrol stations with less than 150 square metres are allowed to stay open on Sundays or after 21.00 on weekdays. The original proposal put forward by the present coalition Government had suggested restrictions based on goods sold rather than size. After much debate and controversy this was rejected in favour of size criteria, which means that the committee's recommendation is almost identical to the proposal which was put forward by the previous Labour Government in 1997 (NO9707116F).

The controversy over opening hours led to a split within the ruling coalition Government, in which the largest party, the Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti, Krf) rejected the original proposal. The Krf has joined forces with the Norwegian Labour Party (Det Norske Arbeiderparti, DNA), and the Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstre Parti, SV). A majority in favour of the new provisions seems to be the most likely outcome of a vote on the matter in the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget).

The Norwegian Union of Employees in Commerce and Offices (Handel og Kontor, HK), and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisasjonen i Norge, LO), are opposed to the proposal, on the grounds that the new legislation will not provide adequate safeguards to protect employees in smaller outlets such as kiosks and newsstands. The Commercial Employers' Association (Handels- og Servicenæringens Hovedorganisasjon, HSH) is also opposed to the proposal, because it believes that the new provisions will create a situation of competitive inequality among retail outlets.

A recent survey by Opinion shows that a majority of the Norwegian population is in favour of Sunday opening hours. (quoted in Aftenposten).

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