PARIS, Feb 14 (AFP): French lawmakers voted late Friday in favour of proposals to introduce "international tourist zones" where shops would be open every Sunday and until midnight every night.
Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron said the special zones, part of a controversial package of reforms designed to rejuvenate France's sclerotic economy, would cover the famous Champs-Elysees avenue and other key Parisian shopping districts, as well as parts of Nice, Cannes and Deauville.
The zones, bringing the French capital more in line with London's longer shopping hours, are "important for French growth and activity", Macron said.
Working the new Sunday and late shifts would be voluntary and staff would be compensated for doing so, the extra benefits varying depending on the job.
Employees working between 9.00 pm and midnight would earn double wages, with companies to pick up the tab for childcare and the journey home.
Macron's reforms aim to shake up Europe's second-biggest economy as it battles with stubbornly high unemployment and near-zero growth, but the package has been hugely controversial, sparking enormous demonstrations last year.
French lawmakers back Sunday shopping zones
FE Team | Published: February 15, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
Share if you like