French government seeks to facilitate Sunday shop openings after October 17 violence - Economy and business

The government will ask prefects to authorize up to three additional Sunday openings for retailers before Christmas, particularly in areas affected by the violence and looting of October 17. Further exemptions could be granted after consultations with employers’ and trade-union organizations.

The French government plans to make it easier for shops to open on Sundays in response to the damage and looting reported during demonstrations on October 17. Commerce Minister Serge Papin said Monday that he would ask prefects to use an order allowing retailers to open on three additional Sundays before Christmas.

Papin said further Sunday openings could be authorized on a case-by-case basis after discussions with employers’ organizations, trade unions and local retailers’ associations. Mayors already have the authority to approve shop openings on up to 12 Sundays a year and may also authorize additional openings to help offset losses linked to the violence.

The government had announced the previous Thursday that it would encourage mayors and prefects to approve exceptional Sunday openings requested by retailers through the Christmas period. An instruction signed by Papin and the ministers responsible for the economy, labor and public accounts was expected to be sent to prefects at the beginning of the week.

The instruction will remind prefects that they can authorize three exceptional Sunday openings without consulting social partners. Consultations may then be organized to consider further openings. Prefects will assess the measure’s relevance locally, with particular attention to areas where unrest disrupted business activity. The instruction does not specify which types of shops may benefit; that will be determined in prefectural orders.

The proposal has drawn opposition from the CGT. Its secretary-general, Sophie Binet, said retail workers—most of whom are women—already face atypical working hours. She also criticized the government’s response as favoring business owners, arguing that employees placed on partial unemployment lose 40% of their pay and should not additionally be required to work Sundays.

According to Papin, about 3,000 shops were affected by violence on October 17 and nearly 400 were looted. He said the situation was calmer on Saturday, October 31, when 20 shops were affected and one was looted.

Sources: Le Monde Économie.