Primark employees at C.C. Meridiano in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, have lashed out at plans to expand the High Tourist Influx Zone (ZGAT). The move would allow shops to open freely on Sundays and public holidays, which is already the case in the centre of the city. 

The expansion has been criticised by small businesses in the city centre, as well as other owners and workers at businesses located within the Meridiano centre itself. "Primark's position is very clear: no to the expansion of the zone," said María Elena Soria Pedrós, head of the Commerce sector of the CCOO union in Tenerife, and an employee at Primark. She added that Primark workers do not believe working on Sundays and Bank Holidays is "worth it". 

Ms Soria warned that the expansion would only worsen working conditions, Canarian Weekly reported: “The only thing they're going to do by expanding the ZGAT is harm workers, because obviously conditions and salaries won't improve, but instead it totally makes people's jobs and lives more precarious."

She argued that having Sundays off is the best way to balance work and family life as “Saturdays are the busiest day of the week”. 

Staff have criticised the fact that the ZGAT expansion is not based on the real profitability of these hours. In their opinion, experience in areas already classified as tourist attractions demonstrates this: "In the Calle Castillo, which is already a high-tourism area, many shops and commercial centres aren't opening because there are no sales, as there are no people there. The High Tourist Zone isn't working."

Instead, the employees’ proposal is to put efforts into "revitalising" the downtown area. 

"I think it would be better if the City Council, instead of focusing on continuing to expand the area, focused on making the existing one work. If it doesn't work there, what we can't understand is why they want to extend it here, when this isn't a passing trade of tourists."

Currently, ZGAT allows shops over 300 square metres to open on Sundays. The new plan would extend the ZGAT boundaries to include areas like Cabo Llanos, home to major malls and stores such as CC Meridiano, El Corte Inglés, Carrefour, MediaMarkt, CC Nivaria and Aldi.

Large retailers have argued that the change would better serve tourists and boost the local economy. 

However, the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT) - one of Spain’s most prominent trade unions - has also voiced strong opposition to the proposal. They say this would disproportionately favour large retailers while placing small and medium-sized enterprises at a severe disadvantage.

The union cited concerns over heavier workloads, extended hours and a lack of fair compensation, all of which could negatively impact work-life balance.