After he met the Primate of the Catholic Church in Croatia, Cardinal Josip Bozanic, on 31 October (last Monday), Sanader said that the intention of his cabinet was to see that the law regulating the work on Sundays be adopted during this autumn's sitting of parliament, i.e until 15 December.
The previous law regulating working hours of shops and shopping centres on Sundays was rejected as the Constitutional Court established that some of its provisions were contrary to the Constitution.
According to Sanader, his cabinet has consulted trade unions, employers and experts while it is preparing the new draft.
This topic has stirred up heated discussions in society with some, including the Catholic Church and certain trade unions and political parties such as the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP), being in favour of the ban on the work of shopping centres on Sunday, while others insisted on having shopping centres and other sectors open on Sunday with strict rule regulating the pay and days-off for workers who work on Sundays.
After Sanader announced a new law in this field, the association of employers in the trade, which is a part of the Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) immediately presented its position on the matter.
It believes that the work of shops must be regulated by law and that the issue must not be politicised.
All merchants (i.e. shops) must be equally treated irrespective of their size and the place of operation.
The leader of the association of the employers in the trade sector, Sanja Smoljak, issued a press release last Wednesday saying that the current solution entrusting local authorities (city and municipal councils) with the task to determine working hours of shops and shopping centres in their towns and residential areas was not good as it ruled out a systematic solution which would be equal for all shops in Croatia.