Bid to expand Sunday shopping in Switzerland is not over yet

The National Council has voted in favour of a proposal to expand the number of Sundays in a year that shops in Switzerland can open, putting the lower chamber of parliament in direct disagreement with the Council of States.

National Council votes to expand Sunday shopping in Switzerland

Earlier this year, the Council of States, representing the 26 Swiss cantons, narrowly rejected the “Temporary flexibilisation of store opening hours” initiative. Just three months later, the National Council has passed the proposal by a close vote of 97 to 95, with four abstentions, according to Watson. The Federal Council also backs the policy change.

In what is turning into a heated debate in Swiss politics, the proposal will now return to the Council of States for a second round of review, with a decision expected in the upcoming winter session in December. If rejected by the cantons again, the proposal will most likely come to an end there and then, but if passed, it would continue to a consultation process.

The initiative was put forward by canton Zurich, and would give cantons the choice to increase the number of Sundays in a year that shops can open in Switzerland from four to 12.

Sonntagsallianz could take the decision to the people

The decision on whether to give businesses more freedom to open on Sundays is also causing a stir outside parliament.

A coalition called the Sonntagsallianz (Sunday Alliance), made up of trade unions, church associations, women’s organisations and the Swiss Society for Occupational Medicine, has announced it “reserves the right to hold a referendum” against the proposal if the Council of States changes its mind.

The coalition argues that the “value of Sunday must be preserved”, that the day is traditionally used for rest, and doing so “contributes to the physical and mental recovery” of workers across the country. 

Proposal supporters, on the other hand, believe that allowing businesses to open on more Sundays each year will benefit businesses and town centres and reduce money lost to weekend cross-border shopping.