The Shoppies union has slammed changes to the Retail Trading Act passed by the NSW Parliament earlier this week, which will allow retailers across the state to open on Boxing Day.

The legislation, which follows a two-year trial, has been called “outrageous” by the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association’s NSW branch secretary Bernie Smith.

“It’s outrageous that this legislation has been passed, despite a review of the two-year trial of trading on Boxing Day that showed no economic benefit to NSW, but a huge negative impact on workers,” he said.

There are protections built into the legislation which prevents retailers from forcing staff to work on traditional public holidays, with fines up to $11,000 for forcing staff to work on December 26.

National Retailers Association CEO Dominique Lamb said she was confident that retail workers would be properly compensated for working on Boxing Day, with penalty rates enshrining 250 per cent of the normal rate.

“We know from our experience elsewhere in the country that Boxing Day is the most popular trading day of the year, but for some reason the vast majority of NSW was forced to close until 2015, Lamb said.

“Prior to the two-year trial that began in 2015, only a select few retail stores in the Sydney CBD and Bondi were allowed to trade on Boxing Day.

“With the success of the trial trading hours for the last two Boxing Days, it was inevitable that consumers and business owners would want to see that made into a permanent fixture.

“We’re very pleased that the Government has decided to move in that direction, and that the Parliament supported them,” she continued.