Sydney rally to protect public holidays

26 Aug 2012, 2:35 pm   -   Source: AAP

A rally has been held in Sydney as part of a campaign to stop shops opening on protected public holidays.

Families in Sydney have gathered to support a campaign against shops opening on protected public holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

About 80 people rallied at Sydney's Luna Park on Sunday to support the Take The Time campaign.

It is opposed to a law being considered by the NSW parliament to allow shops to open on Boxing Day and other protected holidays.

Under the proposed law, banks could also extend their trading hours.

At the rally, NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson said that under the law there were only 4.5 days a year that retailers could not operate on.

"This government is now attacking people's right to spend time with their families," he told the crowd, which was made up largely of families.

"They do it in the guise of somehow dressing it up in the guise of this is going to improve our economy," Mr Robertson said.

"Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Easter are significant days ... they are the very few rare opportunities where people can actually spend time together."

Single mother Christine Goldring, who works at Coles in Seven Hills, said she needed the time off to spend with her children.

"I'm a single mum, so it's important for me to spend time with my family and have those public holidays kept for family time," she told AAP.

Mr Robertson said he was committed to keeping the current laws if elected to government.

The Take the Time coalition is made of numerous unions, the Salvation Army, Uniting Care and the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.

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