Unions protest endless playing of carols

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<http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2003/12/23/

unions_protest_endless_playing_of_carols/>

Unions protest endless playing of carols

12/23/2003

PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Labor unions in the Czech Republic

demanded Monday that stores stop playing Christmas carols incessantly

or pay compensation for causing emotional trauma to sales clerks.

Some stores here play the same songs all day -- and play them loudly.

Employees say shifts have become unbearable.

" To listen to it for eight hours a day is not healthy, that's for

sure, " said andr Leiner, a union leader. " And for the customers,

it's almost unbearable as well. "

Leiner said unions have written to major chains and demanded that

employees be compensated. He said the unions want $19 or two days off

as a possible compensation. They've received no response.

Unions in neighboring Austria have lodged similar complaints against

stores there.

Tesco spokesman Vesselin Barliev said the chain has not received any

complaints. " We don't see the music as a problem, " he said.

© Copyright 2003 Associated Press.