“They treat you like rubbish”

Around 20 Unite Community members, from Chesterfield, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, were unfurling banners and unpacking pamphlets yesterday, when the factory tour led by Sports Direct billionaire Mike Ashley passed on the opposite side of the road.

Ashley had invited investors and journalists to see the freshly painted Sports Direct warehouse, which has been at the centre of controversy since the draconian employment practises going on inside of it were exposed late last year.

The tour, which began after an annual general meeting which consisted of board members apologising to shareholders for abuses such as not paying staff the minimum wage and making them wait unpaid in long queues to be searched at the beginning and end of every shift, was an attempt to reinvigorate Sports Direct’s battered image.

Things soon turned awkward for Ashley, however, after he subjected himself to the same search procedure he makes his employees undergo.

Under the glare of the nation’s media he pulled out a wad of £50 notes, after he was asked to empty his pockets by a security guard.

Around the same time and across the road at the entrance to a footbridge that leads to the warehouse’s staff entrance, Cheryl Pidgeon, an English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) coordinator for Unite, was talking to one of her Polish students who was on his way into work.

He said he had still not received the arrears he was owed due to being paid less than the minimum wage at the warehouse.

“I have worked at factories all over the UK and this is by far the worst one. They treat you like rubbish here – I have never known anything like it,” said the employee, who asked to remain anonymous.

Cheryl, along with the other members of Unite, had travelled to Sports Direct’s warehouse in Shirebrook, Derbyshire to hand out leaflets offering free English classes to the firm’s army of migrant workers – the vast majority of whom are on exploitative zero-hour agency contracts.

During the classes those who wish to do so can also learn about the union and the protections that come with it, said Cheryl.

“We’ve got over 230 people attending the classes and numbers are increasing. The lessons teach them vital language skills and help them understand the local culture. We also let them know that we’re here to help with any issues they have at work,” said Cheryl.

‘Amazing people’

“Membership has doubled from February. There’s still a long way to go but I’ve met some amazing people who are now valuable members of our union.”

Unite Community member Jeannie Robinson, from Chesterfield, was one of those who were busy handing out leaflets and speaking to Sports Direct employees as they filed into work.

“We’ve made so much progress,” explained Jeannie, who has attended numerous Unite events aimed at forcing Sports Direct to improve the way it treats workers.

“But there’s only so much that can be done from the outside. Lots of problems have been pushed to the fore because of the campaign, and I know from speaking to people who work here that it’s made a difference. But we need more members inside Sports Direct to make sure its employees are protected properly.”

It was clear, from their determination, and their passion for ensuring people are treated decently, that the Unite Community members who converged on Shirebrook yesterday will see that happens.