Razem Party chairman Adrian Zandberg said the introduction of a third commercial Sunday in December, along with recognizing Christmas Eve as a day off, is a “bitter pill” for trade workers. He expressed hope that the Senate would pass the amendment abolishing trading on one of the Sundays in December.
Today the Sejm adopted an amendment to the law, according to which Christmas Eve will be a day off from next year. The amendment also stipulates that from 2025, three Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve will be commercial.
“A bitter pill for the trade workers
The Sejm rejected, among other things, amendments from PiS and the left to make December 24 a holiday for this year. The Razem group’s amendment, which restored the original form of the project so that two, and not three, Sundays before Christmas Eve would be commercial, did not receive a majority of votes. The bill now goes to the Senate.
This is a bitter pill for trade workers because the Liberals have put extra work into this bill
– said Zandberg in an interview with PAP.
Until recently, MPs Razem belonged to the Left Club; they abstained from voting on the amendment.
Zandberg emphasized that trade union organizations that unite trade workers protested against the amendment that introduced an additional shopping Sunday to the law.
We must also say openly that we could have defended the trade workers, but the turnout failed here, because if Law and Justice had voted as a full body, we could have passed our amendment.
– he stressed, noting that 15 PiS MPs did not participate in the vote on the amendment.
Can the law still be ‘saved’?
The leader of the Razem party believes that the bill can still be ‘saved’ during work in the Senate committees.
This can still be resolved, of course, but there has to be a will, and unfortunately I have not seen that willingness today, because of the triumphalism on the Liberal side that they could hit the trade workers in the (parliament). Today’s room was completely indecent.
– he added.
At a press conference immediately after Wednesday’s votes, left-wing MPs announced that their club would submit an amendment to the Senate to abolish trading on one of the Sundays in December. The head of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, assured that the approval of the law by the Sejm does not mean the end of work on its content.
Starting tomorrow we will start working again to get this one Sunday off for the trade workers. I am convinced it is possible
– she emphasized.
Zandberg’s sarcasm
MP Adrian Zandberg sarcastically wrote on social media that if PiS MPs had appeared in the Sejm during the vote, the expected solutions regarding a free Christmas Eve would have come into effect.
Winna platform. They are the ones who put this nonsense into law. But if PiS MPs wanted to get off their game, we could defeat the Platform. We convinced everyone that we could do that, it was clear that every vote would be counted. But if 15 PiS MPs worry about voting, PO will always win
— Zandberg wrote about X.
And you know what’s the saddest thing about this story about attacking trade workers on another Sunday? We could have won it. Razem’s main amendment, which defended the right of cashiers and salespeople to rest, was lost by four votes. 15 PiS MPs were not present in the voting room
– added the Razem MP.
Sejm voice
The project to introduce a free Christmas Eve was submitted to the Sejm by the left, which wanted the changes to come into effect this year. During the meeting of the Economy and Development, Social Policy and Family Committee, changes to the project were introduced by the Citizens’ Coalition so that the new regulations would come into force on February 1, 2025, and also that three Sundays before Christmas Eve would be celebrated. commercial.
Currently, in accordance with the Sunday and Public Holiday Restraint of Trading Act, Christmas Eve is a business day until 2pm, and the two preceding Sundays are commercial.
429 deputies took part in the parliamentary vote: 211 voted in favor, 215 against, three abstained and 31 deputies did not participate in the vote.
The PiS club fully supported the bill, although 15 MPs did not vote. Almost the entire Third Way and KO clubs voted against, Konfederacja was split in two, while Lewica and Razem fully supported the new solutions.
READ ALSO:
— From next year, Christmas Eve will be a day off! But? The three previous Sundays in December will be commercial!
— Today is the second reading of the project on a free Christmas Eve. Dziemianowicz-Bąk: What will appear in stores on December 24 that we won’t buy on December 23?
— KO’s contribution to the project about a free Christmas Eve! Jabłoński warns: “Suddenly they propose to abolish 1/4 of Sundays free of business!”
– QUESTIONNAIRE. How do Poles feel about the idea of a free Christmas Eve? More than half of respondents would prefer to work on May 1 or January 6
maz/PAP/X/sejm.gov.pl
Source: wPolityce
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.