the law.

The news angered churches and the Bermuda Industrial Union and drew the threat of court injunctions from Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul.

Four MarketPlace stores, the Supermart on Front Street, and White & Sons Ltd.

in Warwick all plan to open this Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., spokesmen told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

"The time has come to recognise the wants and needs of the shopping public,'' MarketPlace controller Mr. Scott Carswell said in a news release.

"People want to shop at times convenient to their work week and lifestyle.

"We want to meet that need.'' But BIU president Mr. Ottiwell Simmons MP said "there's never been a cry from the public'' for Sunday shopping. The only reason for it was "making a quick buck''.

Mr. Simmons said he met recently with unionised supermarket workers from the MarketPlace and other stores, and "I'm not expecting them to be working'' on Sunday.

Rev. Leonard Santucci, president of the Bermuda Christian Ministerial Association, said Sunday should be a day for families, but "it seems that it's the almighty dollar that's ruling''.

Meanwhile, Dr. Saul said the MarketPlace had no permit to open its stores on Sunday and "would be breaking the law'' if it opened its doors. While the fine of $130 was "trivial'', Government "would take out an injunction to stop them,'' Dr. Saul said. "That would not be in anyone's best interest.'' But supermarket owners said their competitors had been opening for months, and they were fed up with losing business. Maximart in Somerset and Harrington Hundreds in Smith's are among grocers that have been opening on Sundays.

Mr. Tredick Gorham, president of The Supermart Ltd., said 18 food stores were already opening on Sundays, "and some of them are operating without a permit''.

Together, he estimated the stores were doing $10 million a year in business.

"That is creating a major competitive problem,'' he said. "We employ over 70 people and we have to defend ourselves.'' The Supermart had applied for a licence but not yet received one, Mr. Gorham said. But it was prepared to open in any case. "We have never broken the law and don't want to,'' but "the law is very unclear,'' he said. No worker who did not want to work on Sunday would be required to, he said. The store hoped to schedule its worker's hours so that premium pay on Sunday would not be required.

At White's, president Mr. Morris White said he would "sooner not'' open on Sunday, but felt forced to "because the competition is''. Mr. White said he too had applied for a permit to open, but would not comment on whether he had received one.

The MarketPlace cited "competitive pressures'' in saying its Shelly Bay, Hamilton, Heron Bay, and Somerset outlets would all open on Sunday.

"A number of smaller stores have substantially expanded their facilities based on increasing Sunday trade,'' the news release said. "The retail trade in Bermuda is based on a limited market.

"Sunday sales is not new business, it is sales that are being redistributed at the expense of those who normally do business only during the week.'' But not all stores were joining in. Mr. Georgio Zanol, managing director of Lindo's and Giant Foods, said he did not plan to open his stores on Sundays, "unless we are forced to because of loss of business''. Business at both his stores had improved over the last several months, he said.

Mr. Simmons said Sundays were public holidays and "ordinarily, people who heretofore worked on a Sunday in a supermarket would get double time''.

Unionised supermarket workers were "unanimous against'' working on Sunday and "determined that it should not be'', Mr. Simmons said. "They're seeking the support of churches and the Government.'' He expected those offered jobs as replacement workers would decline to work, but "if it gets too bad, we'll just simply take some action and bring to bear the pressure of the whole union,'' Mr. Simmons said.

Rev. Santucci, speaking personally, said he was concerned Bermuda was becoming too American "and losing sight of our own traditions and cultures''.

Stores that opened on Sunday should be charged, and "the whole matter ought to be reviewed'', he said.

Dr. Saul, who last year reduced the size of store area that could open on Sunday without a permit to 4,000 square feet from 5,000 square feet, said only "mom and pop'' type stores were supposed to be exempted.