Carlisle & Eden Green Party are backing campaigners wanting to keep Christmastime special, after most retail giants made a bid in favour of longer opening hours for Christmas 2010. But Carlisle Greens state that retailers are putting 'profits before people' because of greed.
The Green Party supports arguments made by church leaders and trade unions stating that working longer hours will have a bad effect on family life during the Christmas period. Carlisle Green candidate John Reardon adds that most of the people affected are low-paid workers on the minimum wage who probably won't be able to get double time to enhance their pay.
Next and other retailers are opening at 6am on Boxing Day 2009 showing the worst excesses of our materialist consumer society. People are entitled to family time over the Christmas period. If this continues one can guarantee that in a few years we'll have many shops open on Christmas Day itself. John Reardon and Carlisle Green Party will fight hard for workers to spend Christmastime with their loved ones.