THE WA business community is demanding the McGowan Government reverse its decision to cut back extended shopping hours in Perth this Christmas, with claims the decision will cost retail workers hundreds of dollars each and drive more shoppers online.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA chief executive officer Chris Rodwell said the decision to reduce the extended shopping hours in Perth in December by 15 hours would rob a retail worker of up to $372.

“CCI wage calculations have identified that a typical retail worker who could have worked the additional 15 hours would be between $350 and $372 worse off,” Mr Rodwell said.

“Workers should be able to benefit from increased retail trading over Christmas, not lose up to $372 because of an outdated Government decision.”

From December 9, shoppers will have more hours to do their shopping until December 30. But last year, extra shopping hours began on December 5. This means there will be an extra 39 hours of shopping in Perth this festive season, against 49 in 2017.

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Wesfarmers, which owns the Coles supermarket chain, argues that restricted opening and closing times made it hard for traditional businesses to compete with online shopping.

“It’s also becoming more obvious and concerning that the current trading hours arrangements were set at a time before e-commerce existed,” Wesfarmers boss Rob Scott said yesterday.

“The 24/7 availability and accessibility of online shopping is a paradigm shift in the past decade. Businesses with stores and employees in WA are competing every day against national and international online retailers and service providers.”

City of Perth commissioner Eric Lumsden, who was appointed by the McGowan Government, backed Liberal leader Mike Nahan’s position on deregulating shopping hours.

“Giving people more hours (to do their shopping) gives people more choice,” he said.