{"id":9008,"date":"2016-06-14T17:06:51","date_gmt":"2016-06-14T16:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=9008"},"modified":"2016-06-14T17:06:51","modified_gmt":"2016-06-14T16:06:51","slug":"daylight-robbery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=9008","title":{"rendered":"Daylight robbery"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Campaigners were joined by Dick Turpin and Black Bess to accuse the employment agencies running Sports Direct\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Shirebrook warehouse in Derbyshire, of \u00e2\u20ac\u0098daylight robbery\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 on Monday (June 13), in a protest outside The Best Connection\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s offices in Chesterfield.<\/p>\n

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Singing a specially adapted version of \u00e2\u20ac\u0098Stand and Deliver\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, the campaigners were led by Dick Turpin and his faithful mare, Black Bess through the streets of Chesterfield to The Best Connection offices in the town, where volunteers were held up by Dick Turpin and robbed of their wages.<\/p>\n

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The protest was organised by Unite which has been leading the campaign against \u00e2\u20ac\u0098shameful\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 work practices at Sports Direct. \u00e2\u20ac\u0098Lifting the lid\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 on \u00e2\u20ac\u0098Victorian\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 work practices during evidence to the House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills select committee, Unite revealed<\/a> that some workers received their wages through pre-paid debit cards.<\/p>\n

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Costing \u00c2\u014110 to get, workers are charged \u00c2\u014110 a month in \u00e2\u20ac\u0098administrative fees\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 for the card, as well as 75 pence for cash withdrawals.<\/p>\n

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As well as Sports Direct tycoon Mike Ashley admitting workers were paid below the minimum wage, the committee also heard how workers, who were one minute late at the retailer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Shirebrook warehouse, were docked 15 minutes pay.<\/p>\n

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It also emerged that The Best Connection was charging workers a fee of over \u00c2\u01412.45 for \u00e2\u20ac\u0098insurance services\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 straight from their weekly wages with no explanation.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWorkers employed by Sports Direct through The Best Connection and Transline are being subject to daylight robbery,” said Unite regional officer Luke Primarolo.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bNot only have these employment agencies broken the law by failing to pay their staff properly, they are skimming money off workers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 low wages through an \u00e2\u20ac\u0098insurance service\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 scam and by \u00e2\u20ac\u0098taxing\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 them to access their hard earned cash,” he added.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis shameful money grabbing behaviour combined with a \u00e2\u20ac\u0098six strikes and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re out\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 rule exposes the exploitative work practices being used by The Best Connection and Transline at Sports Direct\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s warehouse,” Primarolo went on to say.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 have to be this way as Unite has shown. We would urge workers at Sports Direct to join Unite to help us restore dignity in the workplace and get the back pay they are owed.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe also call on Mike Ashley to work with Unite to stop the abuses which are being done in the name of Sports Direct.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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Watch yesterday’s protest in the video below:<\/p>\n

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