New Zealand Brothels "...provide service"

Brothels cleared to open during Easter

Confusion over Easter trading laws has spread to the oldest service industry in the world - the sex trade.

A woman rang The Dominion Post yesterday asking if her "friend", who worked at a Wellington brothel, was risking a fine by working on Easter Sunday.

Labour Department deputy secretary Andrew Annakin said brothels could stay open over Easter, as they provided a service rather than sold goods.

Most stores that sell goods must close, unless they sell essential supplies.

Labour Department inspectors visited 24 retailers around New Zealand yesterday, and found 22 open, including all four stores visited in Wellington.

Mr Annakin said these stores would be investigated and might be prosecuted.

Overall, the department was pleased with retailers' compliance with shop trading laws over Easter. Some retailers that opened last year had decided to stay closed this year. "Our job is to make sure retailers around the country understand the rules and comply with them," he said.

The department visited 55 retailers over Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Retailers choosing to open have come under fire from the National Distribution Union. National secretary Laila Harre said companies were taking the law into their own hands and stripping workers away from their families for commercial gain.

"There are only 3½ days a year when our 200,000 retail workers are guaranteed time with their families," she said.

Bunnings Warehouse security guard Glen Vickery called on Bunnings to follow the law.

"You don't have many days in the year when families can get together," he said. "Easter should remain a holiday that everyone can enjoy."

Bunning's Warehouse general manager Brad Cranston said 13 of the chain's stores were entitled to open on Easter Sunday because they contained garden centres, which were exempt from the trading laws.