UPDATED 6.25am: Changes to Easter trading laws are being blasted as an erosion of worker rights.

A law was passed yesterday, making it the responsibility of councils to decide if shops in their area can open on Easter Sunday.

MORE: Over to councils to decide on Easter Sunday trading

Labour's workplace relations spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway said the employees who this bill affects are usually in precarious employment situations, and unable to say no.

"They don't have regular hours. They're often not working full time and they are reliant on maintaining a good relationship with their manager so that they can get as many hours as possible."

Mr Lees-Galloway said making councils decide on Easter trading laws, is being blasted as duck shoving.

"If we should be giving local councils and local communities more choice, well let's just dissolve Parliament and get local councils to do everything."

All National Party members voted for the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill, which will allow councils to pass bylaws to allow trading on Easter Sunday and passed its third and final reading by 62 to 59 personal votes yesterday.

Such bills are traditionally a conscience vote for MPs, but National MPs voted together for change.

Pasifika MPs from Labour have opposed the changes, saying they are incompatable with Christian observance of Easter. 

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The Council of Trade Unions also say it was a bad decision.

It said New Zealanders love spending time with their friends and whanau, and in reality there are now only three and a half days a year which are protected for doing just that.

The CTU hopes locals authorities will protect Easter Sunday.