Unions are pushing for Tasmanians to have more public holidays.
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The Labor Party will consider a motion from the shop assistants' union for the Statutory Holidays Act to be varied to include Easter Sunday, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve as public holidays.
It's annual state conference in Burnie will also consider making Easter Tuesday a public holiday for everyone.
The small business lobby says such a move would be "completely unaffordable".
Shop employees' union secretary Paul Griffin said public holidays should be introduced on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve from 7pm until midnight and Easter Tuesday extended for all workers.
"It would bring Tasmania into line with other states," Mr Griffin said.
"Victoria has 13 public holidays a year so why shouldn't we, when our economy and region are so closely linked.
"Interestingly studies show that since the Andrews' government introduced a public holiday on the eve of the AFL grand final businesses have been buoyant and shops have done well.
"Easter Tuesday basically applies to public servants and bank workers and should be extended to everyone."
IN OTHER NEWS
Under a new strong responsible government platform to be debated at the conference on August 31 and September 1, the party says: "Labor recognises the positive social impacts realised from providing relaxation and recreation time for working people and their families."
"Labor will consult with the Tasmanian community, including workers, farmers and business about the appropriateness of existing regional public holidays, and the potential for rationalisation to ensure a more even spread of public holidays throughout the year, whilst ensuring there shall be no fewer than 13 full day public holidays and two part day public holidays for all Tasmanians in each calendar year," the platform says.
Tasmanian Small Business Council chief Robert Mallett was incredulous at the call for more public holidays..
'It is completely unaffordable fullstop," Mr Mallett said.
"It is a load or rubbish because someone has to pay. It is bull****.
"Have the unions or Labor Party given serious consideration to who would pay for people to have a full days' pay for zero work?"
Mr Mallett said businesses, including restaurants, who opened on Sundays had to pay staff "two and half times extra for doing the same job as during the week".
Unions Tasmania secretary Jessica Munday said extra public holidays would allow workers to spend more time with loved ones, enjoy community activities and stimulate the economy.
"Unions Tasmania has had a long held position of support for an increase in public holidays for two key reasons, the first being that additional time with family and community allows workers to spend time with loved ones, to engage in community activities and to rest, something time poor families are having increasing difficulty finding," Ms Munday said.
"Secondly, we support an increase because we believe it will provide positive economic stimulus for local businesses who will benefit from workers and their families being out spending in the community."
Ms Munday said the Victorian and Queensland governments had set an example by increasing public holidays.
"The Andrews Government in Victoria with the grand final eve public holiday and now the Palaszczuk government in Queensland with Christmas Eve have recognised the positives for workers and communities in creating new public holidays and we would urge the government to consult with unions and workers on public holidays in Tasmania," she said.
She said Unions Tasmania remained concerned about the Tasmanian Government's plans for public holidays in Tasmania after they announced a review earlier this year.
"When we wrote to the government for more information they were completely silent. No one has been consulted and no one has seen any terms of reference," Ms Munday said.
Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Michael Bailey said the TCCI wanted a consolidation of public holidays.
"We don't want fewer public holidays but the removal of local days off, or part days off, in return for whole of state holidays," Mr Bailey said.
"The disruption to business with parts of the state having holidays while others don't is evident and an impingement on the economy.
"Tasmania currently has more public holidays than other states and we remain to be convinced that Tasmanian workers need additional days off to what they currently enjoy.
"We must remember that business still pay wages for part time and permanent workers on public holidays, and penalty rates for those actually working. They impact the bottom line, productivity and the economy."
Mr Bailey said the TCCI would support consolidation of regional public holidays to statewide holidays to ensure workers received the same days off.
"We don't support additional public holidays and look forward to the economic rationale from the Labor Conference for such an increase and impost on Tasmanian businesses and negative impact on productivity," he said.
There are currently 11 statewide public holidays in Tasmania.