Labour Minister Yiannis Panagiotou appears keen to reach agreement on a uniform shop opening hours policy with Povek – the small shop owners union – also on board, Philenews reports.
Povek fully disagrees with shops opening on Sunday citing the right of small shop owners and employees to have a day of rest.
Nonetheless, the Minister on Monday said he called for a dialogue on the hot issue with the goal being a collective agreement to be reached.
Shop opening hours in the holiday island of Cyprus vary depending on their type and location and whether they are located in urban, tourist or rural areas.
Generally, shops will open between 07:00 – 21:00 on Monday-Saturday, but this can vary an hour or two either way, depending on the type of shop and the area it is located in.
On Sunday, opening times are later, typically around 11:00, and closing times vary from 14:00 – 22:00, again depending on the type of outlet and its area.
Some shops still observe a half-day closing on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, and close on Sunday, although in most of the tourist areas both shops and supermarkets stay open till late at night. And they are also open on Sundays.
During the period June 15th – August 31st there is an optional three-hour afternoon break/rest – siesta – from 14:00 – 17:00.