Work On Holidays In The Retail Sector Will Require Union Authorization

As of March 1, carrying out commercial activities in general on public holidays will require union authorization. In practice, the requirement for collective bargaining has been expanded, making union authorization the rule for holiday work in a large portion of retail and commercial activities. This scenario increases risk for companies: operating without union backing may result in administrative fines imposed by labor inspectors and in individual or collective legal claims.

Holiday work across various sectors of commerce had previously been permitted without the need for collective bargaining with labor unions, as provided for in Ordinance No. 671/21, whose subitems 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 17, 18, 19, 23, 25, 27, and 28, under Item II – Commerce, of Annex IV, were revoked by Ordinance No. 3,665/2023. Work on Sundays, in turn, must be paid at least double, or compensated with an alternative weekly day off, ensuring at least one Sunday off per month. For women, this