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First Union filed a formal complaint with the Labor Inspectorate of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) after reports that New World Wanaka and New World Three Parks planned to open yesterday.
“This blatant abuse of the Vacation Act is appalling,” said First Union Regional Secretary Paul Watson.
However, a Foodstuffs spokeswoman said the stores had opened “to meet the needs of the community.”
Both stores had a steady stream of customers throughout Good Friday.
Most of the shoppers the Otago Daily Times spoke to said they were unaware that supermarkets had violated the Holiday Law by opening, but despite the violation of the law, they were “very happy” that they did.
Mike Botting from Wanaka said “thank goodness they were open” because they had run out of food.
Sharon McEwan and Sharon Johnson, both from Invercargill, were in town to attend Wheels in Wanaka and needed food for the weekend.
New World Wanaka owners Justin and Joss Purcell and the New World Three Parks manager declined to speak to the ODT.
Head of Corporate Food Affairs Antoinette Laird said the Easter holidays came after “a very challenging year” for the Queenstown and Wanaka community, which was severely affected by Covid-19 and a lack of tourism. international in the area.
Many businesses were struggling and Easter was a time when local tourism could provide much-needed income, Laird said.
“In situations like this, our store owners make an informed decision to put the needs of the community, staff and customers first and we know that the local community appreciates the ability to access much-needed groceries during the holidays.
“To meet the needs of the community, our Wanaka stores have made the decision to open over the Easter holidays, as do many Queenstown businesses.”
Due to the size of the city, there were a limited number of grocery options available to the local community. If stores didn’t open, tourists would have a hard time meeting their food needs, he said.
Watson said she received a complaint from a Wanaka person who was upset that the two supermarkets were openly announcing that they would open their doors on Good Friday.
“These supermarkets are now able to do business on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays in Wanaka during the Easter weekend, allowing the local community and visitors enough time to shop.”
The aim of the Holiday Law was to allow workers to rest with their families and, for some, to recognize and observe the religious relevance of the Easter period.
MBIE regional labor inspection manager David Milne said he had “reached out” to major retail brands such as Foodstuffs and Countdown to remind them of their obligations around restricted trade days.
The Labor Inspectorate did not disclose operational details related to the application of in-store commerce, Milne said yesterday.
Information on the store’s business hours compliance activity by the Labor Inspectorate over Easter weekend would not be immediately available. It would be compiled in the next four weeks, he said.
In 2017, retailers in Wanaka were given the green light to legally open on Easter Sunday for the first time after the Queenstown Lakes District Council voted earlier that year to loosen the rules that had prohibited most stores from opening. retailers.
In 2016, the government changed the law and gave city councils the power to pass statutes that would legalize commerce on Easter Sunday.
Although commerce remains restricted for most businesses on Good Friday, many stores in Wanaka have defied the law for years and opened their doors to the public.
Dairies and gas stations (with restrictions on what food and products they can sell), cafes, restaurants, and souvenir shops are among those that can open on Good Friday.
Businesses that trade on Good Friday can be fined up to $ 1000, especially if they have been previously warned and prosecuted.
