No rest for the wicked
Most Swiss shops close early in the evening and stay shut on Sundays. For some, this is way behind the times, while for others it takes into account the interests of employees. Is Switzerland backwards on this issue or has it got the right idea?
As a result, and because of the country’s system of direct democracy, the Swiss get to vote regularly on opening hours.
As far as major retailers are concerned, opening hours should be as liberal in Switzerland as they are in neighbouring countries. But unions are fighting on behalf of employees to ward off any attempts to make night and Sunday work the norm.
What do you think?
Swiss shops can open Monday to Friday from 6am to 11pm.
However, the cantons have to defer to labour law which takes precedence and which protects the interests of workers.
Most cantons have set out further restrictions in their laws on retail trading hours.
More
Store opening hours: a regular vote topic
More
Labour laws questioned as 24-hour shops shut
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