France’s lower house of parliament approved a law on Saturday letting shops open more often on Sundays, the latest measure in the government’s pro-growth bill intended to lift the sluggish economy.
The bill would let shops open up to 12 Sundays per year from five currently, provided mayors allow it, workers agree to work voluntarily and are paid double their usual salary.
The bill also provides for the creation of special “tourist zones,” to be defined by the government, where shops would be allowed to stay open until midnight and on Sundays. Sunday shopping would also be allowed in large train stations.
Left-wing members of the Socialist Party, which led the fight against the law in parliament, failed to gather enough support to block it.
Sunday shopping was already allowed in some cases — for example, bakers, cafes or restaurants — or in tourist areas, such as the historical Le Marais district in Paris or the Avenue des Champs-Elysees.
Big department stores, such as the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, said the present rules were too restrictive and have demanded an overhaul for years, saying more trading hours would enable them to create jobs and fight competition from non-stop Internet retailers.
However, it is a hot-potato issue in France, and one that has led to protests and trials, with unions saying it hurts workers’ rights and small shopkeepers worrying that they would not be able to compete against the major chains.
Government officials hope the legislation will unleash new sources of growth, but are not putting a precise figure on its impact.
Nonetheless, they hope it will convince EU partners that France is serious about overhauling its hidebound economy.
The law is now expected to go through the French Senate, the upper house of parliament which cannot block legislation, where it would be reviewed in April.
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