Feature: Finland embraces open shops on religious holidays -

by Juhani Niinisto

HELSINKI, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Finnish shops are crowded with customers, some even with waiting lines, on this Easter Holiday, after legal restrictions on shopping hours were canceled in January.

This is in sharp contrast with the traditional silence when all stores were required to be closed on religious and national holidays.

Retailers said the crowding reflects the needs of their customers.

Most customers are pleased with the new policy, but others have criticised it on its concern over the well-being of retail workers and small-shop owners.

The national Evangelic Lutheran Church was critical of the change, not on religious grounds. The difference between a holiday and a workday diminishes, Kimmo Ketola, the head of the Church Research Centre, deplored on national radio before Easter. "Proper differences in the week create well-being."

There is stronger opposition from service sector trade unions, as extra money must be paid for their workers on holidays. Labor laws require at least double salary for anyone working on a Sunday or religious holiday, making labor costs very high in holiday opening hours.

Analysts noted that the liberalization of shopping hours actually increases inequality in Finland.

"Executives and specialists never work on Sundays. The trend is now that lower levels of society have to work more, while the upper echelon continues its life as before," an editorial in Keskisuomalainen newspaper said Friday.

However, there is also a positive side according to the newspaper. For example, customers can go shopping whenever they want.

Major Finnish retail chains announced that they would be open both on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. While the German-owned Lidl kept its stores closed in Finland on Good Friday, but will open on Sunday. Easter Saturday has no holiday status in Finland.

The biggest difference will be seen during the Midsummer Holiday in June and Christmas in December. Under the old rules, shops must be closed on Midsummer Eve and Christmas Eve by noon. This contributes to the "dead silence" of Finnish towns during the Midsummer and Christmas holidays.

Restrictions on opening hours had been part of legislation from 1734. Exceptions by application were allowed for tourist reasons.

Political commentators have noted that the liberalization of shopping hours is so far the only concrete result of the policy agenda of the current government under Prime Minister Juha Sipila.

The change is in line with the cabinet's predominantly neoliberal economic policy, which advocates reducing both the volume of the public sector and public rules regarding entrepreneurs.

Particularly large-scale Finnish stores had been asking for years for more liberal conditions. While smaller shops are concerned, to some extent, how their resources would match extended opening hours.