Shops in Geneva will be open this Sunday.
The Cantonal decision to allow the opening had been challenged in court by the unions, demanding the day off be preserved. The local court agreed and ordered the shops to stay closed.
But two organisations, Genève Commerces and entrepreneurial association NODE, decided to take the matter to the Federal Court.
They didn’t expect a decision to come fast enough to affect this year – they wanted to have a ruling that could be referred to in future.
While federal judges haven’t ruled on the legality of the shops being opened yet, they have agreed the lower court ruling can be suspended for this weekend.
They were swayed by the argument that the shops have a clear economic interest in opening in the run up to Christmas, especially with so much competition from neighbouring countries.
The canton is delighted at the decision. The Economics Minister, Delphine Bachmann says it’s excellent news for the local economy and points out staff who work on Sunday will get double pay – and have the right to decline.
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