Your say on public holidays: Should Easter Sunday be declared a public holiday too?

Fresh off the Christmas Day public holiday win, the powerful “shoppies” union is demanding Easter Sunday be declared a public holiday. Now the government wants to hear what you want.

All public holidays will be put under review by the state government as the powerful shoppies union sets its sights on Easter Sunday.

On Monday, the state government will urge South Australians to make their opinions heard via a new survey on looming reform to the state’s public holiday arrangements.

Labor is already moving to make Christmas Saturdays a public holiday, but would not say whether any other changes are being considered.

Fresh off the Christmas Day public holiday win, the powerful Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association – known as the “shoppies” – is now demanding Easter Sunday also be declared a public holiday.

A new survey on SA public holidays will open on Monday.

“In 2022, South Australia was the only mainland State or Territory that did not recognise Easter Sunday as a public holiday,” SDA spokesman Jordan Mumford said.

“Our antiquated Holidays Act is short changing South Australian workers on Easter Sunday and the State Government has the opportunity to make it right.

“It’s only fair that South Australian workers have the choice to spend Easter Sunday with their family and friends or the benefit of public holiday penalty rates.”

Under the state government’s proposed changes, when Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, both the Saturday and the Monday would become public holidays.

But further changes to SA public holidays are on the horizon as the state government launches a new “Your Say” survey on Monday.

The month-long survey will give people the chance to “suggest changes” to the Holidays Act 1910, which has not been amended since 2012.

SA currently has 13 public holidays each year, including part-day public holidays on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Industrial Relations Minister Kyam Maher urged South Australians to have their say on looming public holiday reform.

The state government says feedback from the survey will shape further “amendments” to public holidays.

The survey will not consider changes to shop trading hours or the level of penalty rates, which are decided under separate legislation.

Industrial Relations Minister Kyam Maher said the state government was “committed to protecting the rights of South Australian Workers”.

“Our legislation will ensure we avoid the unfair situation experienced under the former Liberal government when many workers did not receive penalty rates for working on Christmas Day in 2021,” Mr Maher said.

He said the new survey would provide a chance for voters to “have their say on what they think of public holidays and changes they would like to see”.

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