Vince Farrugia blocks Lidl on Good Friday, obtains change in Legal Notice

GRTU boss Vince Farrugia has managed to obtain a legal notice by government that blocked plans by Lidl Supermarket chain to open regularly for business tomorrow, Good Friday.

21 April 2011, 12:00am
by Karl Stagno-Navarra

1 min read

Farrugia lodged a formal complaint with the Parliamentary Secretariat for SME’s specifically demanding that the law be changed “so that Good Friday remains as it has always been: a special holy day and a family day for all”.

Lidl Supermarket had advertised on brochures and its website that it would be open tomorrow as usual between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Parliamentary secretary Jason Azzopardi swiftly issued a legal notice, that effectively banned retail on Good Friday by making a special case for it in the law.

The Trading Licences Act makes provision for establishments to be able to obtain a special licence to open on Sundays and public holidays has now been amended to bar such licences for Good Friday.

More from Karl Stagno-Navarra

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And the confectionery around the corner from me opens 365 days a year and almost everyday till 10pm. All retail outlets, food related or not, should be allowed to open whenever they feel like it. If I were LIDL top management tomorrow I would go round Malta, take as many photos as I can and on Monday challenge the authorities to explain why all the confectioneries and other shops were allowed to open. We boast that we now live in a civilised and modern country but in reality, when you start peeling off the skin you realise that we have the most stupid of mentalities of 100 years ago.

Luke Camilleri •

X'interess kellu ILLUM dan il-Vince ta' hafna kpiepel u ucuh jaghmel dawn it-trikki-trakki? Jaqaw mhux qedin ibieghu bajd u fniek tac-cukkulata il-Membri hbieb Ta' Censu? Jekk irridu jikkompetu jaghmlu l-prezzijiet bhal tal-LIDL ...ghax bis sahha tal-LIDL igawdi il-Konsumatur u mhux bis-sahha tal-Pinnur Vince Farrugia & Co.

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I can't believe that these are the same people who took Malta into the EU! It looks like they want to change direction and instead of heading to Brussels, htey are heading to Tehran!! No wonder why all this crusade against the introduction of divorce!I hope that many open minded people will notice all this gestures from our CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT!!!

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GRTU should be defending LIDL - a retailer and trader. . If the people of Malta don't go shopping tomorrow, LIDL won't need GRTU or the government to tell it not to open. They'll stay closed simply because it makes no business sense. . But GRTU know that there are people who WILL want to shop on that day, just as there are people who want to shop on Sundays and people who would find a 24-hour retailer convenient. . Instead of encouraging businesses to compete, GRTU wants to shackle those businesses willing to do something different to offer a better service, just to protect those who prefer not to. . PS: Given what Jason Azzopardi is doing, does this make Vince Farrugia his pimp?

Mauro Miceli •

Then the restaurant owners who are members of the GRTU should remain closed as well. Shame on Jason Azzopardi for accepting the request.

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qabel il-knisja kienet taghti permess bIex fil-gimgha l-kbira u l-festi jinghata permess biex jinqata l-qara bali ghax jonfoh. |Issa il-gvern ta' permess biex ma jiftah hadd fil-gimgha l-kbira ghax nefah ragel minfuh.

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Unbelievit. In 2008 Good Friday was not considered so special, was it? http://grtu.net/data/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=519&Itemid=44 Or is this a case of 'Voto Fatto Grazia Avuta' attributed to JP2? Unbelievit.

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Is it really true that GRTU want Lidl to close “so that Good Friday remains as it has always been: a special holy day and a family day for all”? If so, we are day by day becoming more like Teheran. What about those thousands of Maltese who profess another religion (i am not one of them)? Tolerance is as thin as ever, while fundamentalism is thickening.

Gladio •

This is ridiculous. If a shop wants to open it should be able to. Who is Mr Farrugia,apart from a failed politican, to dictate to me when I shop?. Burn the books,close the bars and shops.Catholic fundementalism is alive and well and living in Malta.