Commerce in disagreement on opening hours
The process of introducing changes to the times and days when shops can open will likely be a long one, as the first meeting involving the parties concerned showed on Monday.
There was little progress on the issues of extending opening hours for retailers and opening on more than one Sunday per year, as the bodies represented simply voiced their views without reaching any agreements.
The National Confederation of Greek Commerce, which initiated the meeting, warned that commerce professionals will have to agree to a general measure before the government or any local authority act arbitrarily, while the head of the Athens Traders? Association, Panagis Karellas, argued that once the historic center of Athens has had its facelift completed, all options for increasing store turnover must be used, including opening on some Sundays.
In contrast, the General Confederation of Greek Small Businesses and Traders (GSEVEE) and the Federation of Private Employees of Greece (OIYE) stressed that any extension to opening hours will doom small enterprises.
