GRTU wants shops to open on May 1

The Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU has called on the government to allow shops to open regularly on Worker's Day.

Arguing that a two-day weekend with no shopping was too long for consumers, the GRTU said 71 per cent of members wanted to open on Saturday.

"If the government agrees to this, it will constitute an opportunity to business owners who choose to open but by no means will it mean that shop owners will be made to open against their will or that this will apply for any other public holidays," the GRTU said.

On March 31, Freedom Day, the government had allowed shops to open. However, it had said it did not wish to set a precedent, which would be applied to every public holiday.