On December 8, St. Mary’s Day, drugstores and supermarkets in Austria have the choice of whether or not to open. Most local supermarkets and drugstores will be closed on this day this year, including most Bipa stores for the first time. Only locations of the drugstore chain with a so-called operating obligation, such as in shopping centers or train stations, will remain open, the Rewe Group reports in a broadcast.
Only 44 of Bipa’s 574 branches will remain open on Dec. 8 due to the operator obligation, the group said, including Austria’s Billa, Penny, Adeg and Sutterlüty. Billa, Billa Plus and Penny branches also remain closed, with the exception of locations with mandatory service. The Adeg and Sutterlüty branches in Austria are run by independent traders who can decide for themselves whether to close on December 8, a spokeswoman for the Rewe Group said.
All Interspar stores are open on public holidays
The discounters Hofer and Lidl had already announced that they would close all branches in Austria that day. Drugstore chain dm is closing most locations, with the exception of branches with a contractual operating obligation, for example in shopping centres. At Spar it is different. According to a spokeswoman, “all Interspar stores” and “selected locations” of the supermarket chain will remain open during the holiday.
Allowances and compensatory rest for employees are due for public holidays. According to the Chamber of Commerce, employees must be informed one month in advance if they are deployed on December 8. You have the right to refuse employment on December 8 within one week of being notified. And they should not be harmed by this.
Source: Krone
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