One in three would work on Sundays

MORE than a third of French employees would be prepared to work on Sundays if the law was changed, a survey has said.

A total 33% said they would be willing to give up some of their Sundays in return for double pay. More than half (58%) said they would be prepared to work additional hours during the week if necessary.

Although that figure is down on a previous survey, the results of the study boost the case for foreign minister Laurent Fabius, who has called for shops to open on Sundays to boost tourism.

Tourism employs 7% of the total workforce in France, Mr Fabius told RTL, stressing the importance of the industry to the French economy.

He said: “Tourists who visit (towns and cities in France) on Sundays and find the shops closed will not come back a second day.

"For tourists, we must have Sunday opening," he argued.

The minister, whose portfolio now takes in tourism and foreign trade following the French government reshuffle earlier this month, said: "With my colleague the economy minister (Arnaud Montebourg), I'll do it.”

In February, France’s highest administrative court, the Conseil D’Etat, suspended a government decree allowing DIY stores to open on Sundays.

Meanwhile, cosmetics chain Sephora has said is to appeal against a court ruling banning it from opening after 9pm.

The Opinionway poll of 1,050 employees also found that 21% of employees surveyed are considering finding additional work, 17% take work home, another 17% work nights and 10% go into work on their days off.