All shops and retailers must by law close by 7 pm at the latest on the day before a bank holiday. Exempt from this rule are businesses that have signed collective agreements permitting the business to remain open until 8 pm the day before.
Larger supermarkets tend to have collective agreements with such clauses, thus allowing them to remain open until 8 pm on Thursday evening. However, they do have to pay overtime to employees working this additional hour.
In the context of the reminder of workers' rights, the OGBL has demanded a progressive reform of the law dictating opening hours. The trade union described the current legislation, which depends on ministerial exemptions, as untenable.
