Sunday Working (Scotland) Act 2003

The Sunday Working (Scotland) Act 2003^[1]
Dates
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make provision as to the rights of shop workers and betting workers under the law of Scotland in relation to Sunday working; and for connected purposes.
Citation	2003 c 18
Royal Assent	10 July 2003
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

The Sunday Working (Scotland) Act 2003 (c 18) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The aim of the Act was to close an anomaly in employment law in the United Kingdom, whereby shopworkers in England and Wales had the legal right to refuse to work on a Sunday, when shopworkers in Scotland did not enjoy this right.

The anomaly arose from the different legislation in force in Scotland and the rest of the UK regarding Sunday trading. In Scotland, there was never any legislation preventing Sunday trading, and shops could choose their own opening hours. However, Sunday trading was illegal in England and Wales under the Shops Act 1950. In practice, Scottish shops did not usually open on a Sunday as a matter of custom.

Towards the end of the 20th century, demand for Sunday trading increased, and many Scottish shops began to open on a Sunday. An Act of Parliament, the Sunday Trading Act 1994 was passed to allow shops to trade on a Sunday in England and Wales, subject to certain conditions. The 1994 Act also gave shopworkers in England and Wales the right to refuse to work on a Sunday (unless their contract was for work solely on a Sunday). However, as the Act did not extend to Scotland, the same rights were not enjoyed by Scottish shopworkers.

Despite the differences most retailers did not force Sunday working on staff in Scotland and, generally, they were treated the same as staff in the rest of the UK, particularly the Scottish staff of UK wide chains. However, in 2001, the retail chain, Argos sparked fury in Scotland when they sacked several Scottish employees for refusing to work on a Sunday. Although they later backed down, several Scottish MPs raised questions on the different legal rights between the different parts of the UK, and demanded that the right to refuse to work on a Sunday be enjoyed by workers in Scotland also. Thus, a Private Member's Bill was laid before Parliament by Malcolm Savidge, MP for Aberdeen North.

Section 1 - Sunday working: shop and betting workers in Scotland

This section amends the Employment Rights Act 1996. It came into force on 6 April 2004.^[2]

Sections 3 and 4

Sections 3 and 4 came into force on 10 July 2003.^[3]

References

↑ The citation of this Act by this short title is authorised by section 4 of this Act.
↑ The Sunday Working (Scotland) Act 2003, section 3; the Sunday Working (Scotland) Act 2003 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/958 (C. 42)), article 2
↑ The Interpretation Act 1978, section 4(b)

External links

BBC News- Argos Sunday working climbdown

UK legislation

Text of the Sunday Working (Scotland) Act 2003 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from the UK Statute Law Database

United Kingdom legislation

Pre-Parliamentary legislation	List of English statutes Charter of Liberties Magna Carta

Acts of Parliament by states preceding the Kingdom of Great Britain	Acts of the Parliament of England to 1483 1485–1601 1603–1641 Interregnum (1642–1660) 1660–1699 1700–1706 Acts of the Parliament of Scotland Acts of the Parliament of Ireland to 1700 1701–1800

Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain	1707–1719 1720–1739 1740–1759 1760–1779 1780–1800

Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	1801–1819 1820–1839 1840–1859 1860–1879 1880–1899 1900–1919 1920–1939 1940–1959 1960–1979 1980–1999 2000 to date Halsbury's Statutes UK Statute Law Database Short titles

Church of England measures	List Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919

Legislation of devolved institutions	Acts of the Scottish Parliament Acts and Measures of the National Assembly for Wales Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland Orders in Council for Northern Ireland

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