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Sunday Trading (London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games) Bill [HL]

My Lords, I wish to speak very briefly in the debate because it is important and I want to make certain that the voice of shop workers is heard. I do not have the credentials of my noble friend Lord Davies of Coity to speak on behalf of USDAW, but I have been sent a brief by it and some of the points it raises are very important. I begin by declaring an interest. My stepdaughter works in the retail trade for a large company, often on a Sunday against her will. She has to do that, as we have already heard from other speakers. Unfortunately, it is not always the choice of the workers themselves to work on a Sunday. USDAW wanted to ensure that its advice to legislators about the Government's proposals was based as closely as possible on the current views of its membership. Therefore, it commissioned an objective survey, by telephone, of over 20,000 of its members working in retail in England and Wales. I draw to the Committee's attention some important statistics that came out of this research. Of the 20,000 interviewed, 78 per cent opposed longer openings on Sundays during the Olympics. That is quite a large percentage and we should bear that in mind in our discussions. Only 11 per cent supported it. Fifty-one per cent of staff are already under pressure to work on Sundays—as is my stepdaughter, as I have explained to the Committee—when they do not really want to. Seventy-three per cent of shop workers believe that longer Sunday opening will lead to more pressure to work on Sundays against their will. Many of us in this House would not agree with pressure being put on workers in that way. However, that was the result of the survey. I also draw three points to your Lordships' attention. Many workers said that they want to be able to enjoy the Olympics on Sundays with their families, along with the rest of the country. That has been mentioned and it is an important issue. Why should the rest of us be able to enjoy the Olympics on a Sunday when workers who may have had some pressure put on them would not be able to? Shop workers want to be able to spend time with children, partners and families on a Sunday. Again, that is a perfectly understandable response from the workers involved. The shorter trading and working hours mean that this is often the only time they can spend together as a family during the week. Lastly, many staff find it very difficult to work on Sundays. This point has not yet been raised. There are practical problems with transport, particularly in rural areas due to a lack of Sunday bus services, and with childcare, especially for single parents. If people in rural areas are asked to work during the Olympics on a Sunday, they will face even more difficulties than those in urban areas. I raise these issues because I think they should be borne in mind during this debate. Along with the noble Lord, Lord Myners, I think that Amendment 1E is worthy of support and I will support it.